


Deep Breaths

by MaggiesAngel



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alpha Bucky Barnes, Alpha Steve Rogers, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Angst, Claiming Bites, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Homelessness, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Knotting, Masturbation, Multi, Oral Sex, Panic Attacks, Panic-induced self-harm, Past Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Steve Rogers, Sex, Slow Burn, Threesome - F/M/M, Vaginal Fingering, mention of past Stucky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:08:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 62,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23437435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaggiesAngel/pseuds/MaggiesAngel
Summary: Bucky finds an omega living on the street; the younger sister of someone he and Steve knew in high school. In a world where omegas who aren't protected, they're seen as fair game to most of society, Jamie has made hard decisions to survive after her brother's death. She goes with him reluctantly when Bucky promises he and Steve will keep her safe, but her trust in anyone, especially alphas, has been nearly obliterated. Can the men she crushed on for years as a teenager remind Jamie that not all alphas will hurt her?
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Original Female Character(s), James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers/Original Female Character(s), Steve Rogers/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 175
Kudos: 408





	1. Chapter 1

Bucky was headed to his truck but heard a commotion in the alley next to where he had parked. When he heard a woman cry out, “No! _No!_ Leave me alone!” he ran down between the buildings to investigate. Rounding a corner, he found two alphas had cornered a woman, and the area was filled with the scent of terrified omega. She stood with her back plastered to the wall and a small knife in her right hand as one of the men advanced and grabbed her wrist, forcing her to drop the small blade. “Leave me alone!” she screamed, the man yanking at her hair.

“Hey!” Bucky yelled, catching the other alpha’s attention.

The men let her go and she fell to the ground with a whimper, scrambling to grab her knife and hide in the corner. “Just keep walking, man,” the one who had been holding the omega warned.

“Yeah, not gonna happen,” Bucky replied, shaking his head. “The lady said she wants to be left alone.”

“The bitch is out alone; she’s fair game,” the second one snarled.

Barnes stepped closer and growled deep in his chest, clenching his hands and squaring his shoulders. “And I’m telling you, she’s _not_.”

The first man squinted, studying Bucky’s face carefully, then slapped the other man in the chest. “Fuck, it’s that military vet,” he growled.

Bucky grinned; being recognized had its benefits at times. “Yeah, I am,” he agreed. “So, are we gonna have a problem here, guys?”

The men stared at him for a few seconds while they debated if it was worth the fight, then grumbled and jogged the opposite way down the alley and disappeared. Bucky turned to the omega who was still crouched down, watching everything closely, before he and knelt on the damp pavement so he wasn’t looming over her. He studied her closely and noted the clothes she wore were dirty and worn; it was obvious she lived on the street. A dangerous position, when most of society viewed solitary, unprotected omegas as targets for most alphas. Barnes stared at her face and realized he recognized the pale blue eyes that stared at him in fear. “Jamie?” he asked softly. When she stiffened, her entire body drawing as far back into the building’s wall as she could manage, he held out his hands to show he meant no harm and said, “Jamie, it’s Bucky… James Barnes; I played football with your brother in high school. Do you remember me?”

Licking her lips, she swallowed slightly. “I remember,” she replied, voice soft.

The sun was rapidly setting, and with it, the temperature was plummeting; Bucky watched her shiver. “Do you have anywhere to stay, Jamie?”

Her eyes darted down the alley, where the men had disappeared, and she said, “There’s a shelter a few blocks over…”

Bucky nodded, knew which one she spoke of, and let out a heavy sigh. “Look, there’s a good chance they’re gonna be pretty full, with the cold weather,” he pointed out. When she frowned, he rubbed a hand over the back of his neck and said, “Why don’t you come stay at my place?”

“I don’t know…”

His chest ached to see the vibrant young woman he once knew, living like she was now, her eyes haunted and full of distrust. Bucky cleared his throat and let out a long, steadying breath. “Jamie, do you remember Steve?”

“Rogers. Captain of the football team,” she replied quietly. “You both hung out with Jason.”

He smiled sadly when her voice caught at the mention of her brother; he didn’t know what had happened to Jason, but it was obvious the alpha, and her protector, had died. “Steve and I own a house, at the edge of town. You’d have your own room, bathroom, and lots of space; we wouldn’t crowd you. But you’d be safe, and warm, I promise.” Bucky watched the indecision cross her face as she looked around the alley, and he slowly reached out his hand to her. “I’ll never let anything happen to you.”

Jamie swallowed hard and stared at the man across from her; he was larger than the two men who had dragged her into the alcove, but he exuded an air of calm. Her mind went back to high school, her brother and his friends all at the house, and the protective nature they all had over her. Nodding, she used the wall to help her stand, closing the knife and tucking it into her jeans pocket.

Bucky watched her stand and let out a silent, relieved sigh. Though she didn’t take his hand, she slowly walked with him down the way he had come towards his truck. She hugged herself, shuddering from the temperature, and Bucky took off his leather jacket and zippered hoodie, but before he could drape it over her shoulders, she cringed. “You look cold,” he said quietly. “I know it’ll have my scent, and I’m sorry. The only other thing I have is a sweatshirt in the truck, but that’s covered in grease from my car shop.”

She swallowed and nodded, allowing him to lay the clothes down, though she grimaced. He noticed but said nothing as he unlocked the truck and let her in the passenger side, jogging to the driver’s side, almost afraid she would bolt. Bucky pulled on the sweatshirt from the shop from behind the driver’s seat before he climbed in and started the vehicle. Turning the heat on high, he also turned on the seat warmer for her and started to drive. “I just need to stop to fill up the truck, and I’ll call Steve and let him know you’re coming. Just in case he’s started dinner; I want him to make enough, okay?”

When Jamie nodded silently, Bucky pulled into the gas station and filled up, heading inside with his phone while he paid. “Steve?”

“Hey, man. You running late?”

Bucky rubbed a hand over his face, staring out at the truck, and seeing Jamie huddled up in the cab. “You remember Jason, from high school?”

“Cole? Yeah… Man, been years since I’ve heard that name,” Steve replied. “What’s going on?”

“Found his sister, Jamie, in an alley,” Bucky replied. “It’s not good, man. Couple alphas about to jump her. Looks like she’s been on the streets… I’d guess at least a few years.”

A growl came through the phone, and Steve said, “She’s an omega… _Shit_. Means Jason’s gone. You have her with you?”

“It’s why I’m calling,” Barnes confirmed. “I didn’t know what to do… She’s in bad shape, Steve.”

“Okay… Sam and Wanda are coming over anyway…”

“Right, Wanda might be better equipped at dealing,” Bucky agreed. The woman was an omega and a nurse, and he had forgotten the couple had plans to come over for dinner. “I gotta go, I don’t want her to run.”

“Yeah, go. I’ll see you when you get here.”

Barnes hung up and headed back to the truck, quickly turning the heat higher. He glanced at Jamie, to see her pressed against the door, her bag held in her lap and her arms held across her chest.

*****

By the time they reached the house, freezing rain had started to fall, making the ground treacherous. Bucky pulled into the garage, but came around to open Jamie’s door; the ice had been pounding on the passenger side on the drive, and nearly welded that side shut.  
  
The entrance from the garage opened into the laundry room, and he lifted his coat off her shoulders, dumped his sweatshirt into a laundry bin, then showed her into the kitchen. Bucky immediately noticed her scent changed. He turned and saw Jamie staring with wide, fearful eyes, at the strangers who stood around the kitchen island.

“Jamie, it’s okay,” Bucky assured softly. “They’re friends who came over for dinner. This is Wanda and Sam; they’re a couple.”

Jamie recognized the other woman as an omega, who studied her with gentle, concerned eyes. “Your arm is hurt,” Wanda said softly, stepping closer slowly.

Bucky frowned between the women, then noticed Jamie wasn’t hugging herself, she was holding her left arm against her chest. He shook his head that he hadn’t noticed that detail before but watched as Jamie glanced at him with a frown on her face. “Wanda is a nurse,” he explained.

Steve appeared from down the hallway, and he watched as Jamie jumped, then recognized his face and relaxed somewhat. He managed to control his expression, but his eyes flicked to Bucky and he let out a silent sigh. “Hi Jamie,” Steve greeted gently. “I was just finishing getting your room ready. You look like you could use a hot bath to warm up.”

“I don’t… I was going to wash my clothes at the shelter,” Jamie whispered in response.

Wanda turned to Sam, gently touching his arm. “Grab my overnight bag from the car, will you, hun?” When she turned back, as the beta moved off, she smiled. “I always have spare clothes in the car, in case I have to change, what with working at the hospital. Especially at this time of year, with the cold weather coming; there are a few sets of clothes, and PJs, just in case I’d have to stay overnight. You’re more than welcome to everything in it, Jamie. They’ll be cold, but they’re clean.”

“I’ll toss them in the dryer to warm them up,” Steve said with a nod. “Easy enough fix.”

Wanda studied where Jamie still braced her arm, and asked, “Dislocated?”

Jamie’s throat tightened and she stayed silent while she nodded, lowering her gaze.

The alphas stared at each other, jaws clenched, and Wanda stepped closer. “It’ll be sore, but we can fix it,” she assured. “And I’m sure there’s a sling in the first aid kit for after you clean up.”

“There is,” Steve confirmed softly. “Wanda can put it back in for you, Jamie. Or we can; whichever you’re more comfortable with.”

She stared between the trio, then at the beta who re-entered through the garage and swallowed. “I’ve tried to do it myself; I remember watching… I remember Jason doing it when he’d dislocate it in high school, but I just can’t lift it to pop it in. It hurts…” Jamie’s voice died off.

Wanda nodded in sympathy. She listened to the hesitation in the other woman’s voice when she spoke of her brother, and how quiet her voice was in general, and decided to offer an option that might be the easiest that the timid woman could handle. “What if you lean on me, and let Bucky raise your arm?”

When Jamie nodded, Wanda moved into position, gently wrapping her arms around the other woman’s waist. Bucky stood in front of her and reached out to take her wrist gently, his second hand braced at her elbow, and began lifting her arm straight up. He met Jamie’s eyes, watching as she flinched, her breath panting through her nose until her shoulder popped; he felt it through her arm. She never made a sound, but her face tensed, and a soft gasp fell from her lips, and Bucky felt guilt tear through him at causing her pain.

“Okay, we got it,” he assured her, breaking the silence as he slowly lowered the limb.

Wanda released her. “How about I show you to your room?” When Jamie nodded, Wanda spared a glance at the men, then lead the way down the hallway.

Bucky watched them go, then ran his hands through his hair and let out a long sigh. He reached into the fridge and pulled out a beer, twisting off the top before taking off a long swallow. “Geezuz,” he muttered.

Steve took the clothes Sam held out and tossed them into the dryer, set it for twenty minutes, just long enough to take the icy chill off that had settled into them from sitting outside.

“When’s the last time you saw this girl?” Sam asked softly.

“When we graduated high school,” Steve replied, shaking his head. “She was…sixteen? Fifteen? Christ, I don’t know. She’s a couple of years younger, that’s all I remember. So around twenty years now.”

“We need to find out about Jason,” Bucky muttered, leaning back on the counter, gritting his teeth. “What happened, and how long has Jamie been on her own?”

Steve nodded, pulling out his phone. “It’s not late; Tony should still be up,” he agreed, dialling.

“And how are things in Mr. Roger’s neighbourhood?” Stark asked as soon as he picked up.

Chuckling, Steve set down his beer and rubbed at his beard. “I wish they were better, actually,” he admitted. “Calling because I need a favour, Tony.”

“Uh-oh, that’s never good. What’s wrong?”

“Bucky found an omega alone, on the street; it was someone we went to high school with,” Steve explained. “We played football with her brother, who was an alpha. She got…upset at the mention of him, so our guess is, he’s passed. But we don’t know how long she’s been on her own.”

“Damn. Okay, names, ages, and high school?”

“Jason and Jamie Cole,” Steve supplied. “Jason would have been 37, Jamie was…a couple years younger, but I can’t remember how much though, sorry. We all graduated from Black Creek Secondary.” He could hear the clicking of keys on the other side. “We lost touch after Buck and I joined the military… Dammit, we should have written him. I know Jason was accepted to university for… Damn, what was it, Buck?”

“Masters of Science in Business, wasn’t it?”

“Business Analytics,” Steve agreed. “University of Texas in Austin. If that helps at all?”

“Geezuz, bright kid, then. Yeah, that should help,” Stark confirmed. “All right leave it with me. I’ll start running what I have and get back to you in the morning with what I’ve found. And don’t beat yourself up, Steve. People grow apart after school; it happens.”

Steve nodded. “Thanks, Tony. We appreciate it.”

***


	2. Chapter 2

Wanda showed Jamie into the bedroom and closed the door behind her. “There’s a large ensuite bathroom through that door there,” she indicated. “I just heard the dryer start, so the clothes will be ready when you are. I just need to grab the first aid kit from the hall closet to have the sling.” She watched the nervous woman look around the room, and Wanda asked, “Do you need help?”

Jamie swallowed and shrugged with her good shoulder. “My hair is… The knots are bad,” she admitted. “I don’t know if I can get through it all…”

Nodding, Wanda followed her into the bathroom. “How about you get into the shower and do what you can. And when you need help, just let me know, all right? I'll go get you some towels.”

She licked her lips, but Jamie watched as Wanda went for the linen closet to give her privacy as she stripped out of her clothes. Jamie turned on the water and climbed under the spray, shivering as the hot spray hit her skin. This was the first shower she had experienced that wasn’t in a shelter and timed in her recent memories.

Jamie didn’t use her left arm, not wanting to aggravate the injury, and used the available washcloths to scrub at every inch of her body, until the only thing left was her hair. She opened the curtain and said, “I… I can’t do my hair. It’s soaked, but even washing it…”

“It’s not a problem,” Wanda assured. She stripped out of her sweater, down to a tank top, and pulled open the curtain enough to put a shower stool inside for Jamie to sit. Pulling down the removable showerhead, Wanda was glad there was a rainfall one in the ceiling, so the sitting omega didn’t get cold while she thoroughly drenched the young woman’s hair and poured shampoo into her hands. Massaging gently, she watched carefully as Jamie silently flinched, and Wanda noted bruising on the scalp, before rinsing. Then she applied a generous amount of conditioner and grabbed a wide-toothed comb and slowly began combing through the tangled locks.

It was a long process, and several times Wanda added more conditioner, taking the broken hairs out to throw away. But eventually, she could run a comb through Jamie’s entire head without it catching. Only then did Wanda take the showerhead and rinse the product from her hair.

Turning off the water and wrapping Jamie in a robe, Wanda moved the stool out in front of the mirror, and slowly began wringing a towel through her hair. She was about to go and get the clothes, when Jamie nervously asked, “Will you cut my hair?”

“Of course. Are you sure?”

Jamie nodded, staring in the mirror at the ragged length which reached half-way to her waist. “It’s so broken, and I… I just want it cut.”

Wanda heard the pain in the woman’s voice and nodded without further questions, quickly finding the scissors that she used from the medical kit; sharp and accurate. She cut just above the woman’s shoulders, where Jamie nodded in satisfaction. “Let me go and get you clothes, then we can put your arm in a sling, okay?”

When Jamie nodded, Wanda slipped out of the room and made her way to the kitchen, offering a small smile to the men when they all looked at her expectantly. “I came for the clothes,” she explained.

“How is she?” Bucky asked with a frown.

“Quiet, nervous,” Wanda replied. “She has bruises, some older scars.” She sighed and shook her head. “You’ll have to go very slow; she’s not who you remember, guys. But I need to get the clothes back in there.”

“Yeah, go,” Steve urged. He had already taken everything out and folded it on top of the dryer.

Wanda knocked on the door before opening it and found Jamie had not moved. Setting down the clothes on the counter, Wanda said, “I brought everything in; I wasn’t sure what you’d be the most comfortable in.”

Jamie nodded and stood to look through everything. She chose a pair of yoga pants and cotton underwear; loose and easy to get on and off with one arm. “I don’t think… There’s no point in a bra,” she muttered, glancing at Wanda.

“It’ll just aggravate your shoulder,” she agreed. “Tank top and sweater?”

“I’ll just… I’ll need some help,” Jamie admitted. She allowed the other woman to help her dress, but when Wanda offered to blow-dry her hair, Jamie shook her head and they delicately slipped the sling in place.

Wanda felt her tense in pain but noted she never made any sounds. “How about I help you get settled into bed, and I’ll go grab you something for the pain?” When Jamie nodded, Wanda slipped out and came back with some ibuprofen and a glass of water. “Is there anything else you need? Are you hungry?”

“No, I’m good. Thank you... For all of this,” Jamie said softly.

Wanda smiled gently. “If you need anything, just have them call me. We don’t live far; I can be back here quickly, okay?”

When Jamie agreed, Wanda slipped back to the kitchen. She took Sam’s beer when he offered it to her and she leaned into his chest, taking a long drink. “No track marks and she studied the pain pills closely before taking them; she’s not using,” Wanda admitted softly with relief. “And she’s… Jamie is so quiet when she’s in pain. I don’t know why, but that worries me.”

“I noticed that, too,” Bucky agreed. Running his hands through his hair, he sighed. “I’m sorry about dinner, guys…”

“Hey, don’t do that, man,” Sam interrupted, waving his hand. Steve had filled in the couple about the situation before Barnes had come home, and they understood. “We can have dinner any night, you know that. What else were you gonna do?”

Bucky let out a long breath. “Can you open the shop tomorrow and deal with that? I’ll message everyone, but until we know what’s going on, I don’t want to leave her alone.”

“It’s done,” Sam assured. “Had a few cancellations for this week anyway, so we should be good.”

Steve looked outside and frowned. “It looks like it’s eased up; it might be a good idea for you to head out before the freezing rain starts again.”

“I was thinking the same,” Wanda agreed. “But you call if you need me; I’ll come back over. Not like I haven’t driven to the hospital for emergencies in worse conditions.”

Once they saw the couple off safely, Steve let out a heavy sigh as the men stared at each other. “I’ll call work and let them know what’s happened; see if I can get tomorrow off,” he said, running a hand over his beard.

Bucky nodded. “I’m going to take her in a little bit of food; she has to be hungry…”

“Yeah… Shit, who knows the last time Jamie’s eaten,” Steve growled darkly. “Fuck, I can’t even imagine how this happened.”

Nodding, Barnes leaned against the kitchen island and rubbed his eyes. “Hopefully Tony will be able to find out something for us; he’s usually pretty good at digging up info,” he agreed. “Okay, go, make your call. I’ll grab a few things and see if Jamie wants anything.”

Steve disappeared into the den while Bucky dug through the fridge. Living on the street, he had no idea what Jamie had been eating, or what she might want. Knocking softly on the spare bedroom door, he opened it quietly in case she was asleep but found Jamie sitting on the chair near the window. She turned to stare at him with wide eyes, and Bucky smiled gently. “I brought you some food, in case you got hungry.”

Jamie’s eyes flicked to the try in his hands as he set it on the desk near the wall, then back up to his face. “Why did you help me?”

Bucky frowned in confusion, sitting at the desk chair; he didn’t want to approach her because he could smell the anxiety that poured off her skin. “I wasn’t going to leave you there, Jamie,” he admitted softly.

“But you didn’t know it was me,” she countered, staring hard at him. “Not at first.”

Understanding dawned on him, and he nodded. “You said no,” Bucky replied. “I was taken hostage during my time in the military; not for long, but long enough. No one has the right to your body but you, Jamie.”

“I’m just an omega.”

The bitterness in her voice made his chest constrict as she turned to stare out the window. “No, Jamie. You’re not _just an omega_. I hate the whole concept that omegas need a protector, Steve and I both do,” he explained. “No one should think they can touch you just because you’re out by yourself. It’s bullshit. Damned knot head alphas need to get castrated if they can’t keep their hands to themselves.”

Jamie turned back to study him, her brow drawn as she studied him closely, but stayed silent. Bucky noted she wore a large, heavy sweater and hugged her left arm in the sling close to her body. “I’ll let you get some rest, Jamie,” he said gently. “My room is next door. Steve’s is just down and across the hall. If you need anything, feel free to wake either of us up. You’re welcome to anything in the kitchen, and full run of the house, okay?”

When she nodded, he left.

*****

Bucky wandered into the den and found Steve on a video call, waving at the couple on the screen. “Nat, Clint,” he greeted tiredly, flopping down onto the couch and covering his face with his right arm and a groan.

“That bad, huh?” Steve asked darkly.

“It’s not good,” Barnes confirmed, running his hand up through his hair. “She doesn’t understand why I stepped in, even before I knew it was her… It just doesn’t even occur to her that they shouldn’t have been trying to attack her in the first place just because she’s an omega.”

“She’s definitely been on the street a while then,” Clint said with a heavy sigh. “You said Wanda gave her a quick once-over?”

Steve nodded. “She and Sam were already planned to be here for dinner,” he confirmed. “Once Buck called, I got in touch and gave them a heads-up. She brought clothes so that they’d be here. We didn’t have anything that would fit, and I figured she wouldn’t have much herself…”

Natasha ran her hands through her hair. “I’ll take care of the gym for a few days; we can split up your clients,” she assured him. “It’s a family emergency, and you know everyone will understand.”

“Thanks, Nat, I appreciate it,” Steve said quietly.

“Call us if you need anything; day or night, you know that,” Clint reminded the men.

“We will,” Bucky agreed.

Steve hung up and turned to the dark-haired alpha, shaking his head, blowing out a long breath. “We’ll need to get groceries and more clothes for her tomorrow. Probably pain meds; I know we’re running low from when I cracked my rib, and she’ll need it for that shoulder.”

Barnes nodded. “Let’s just see how the night goes.”

*****

Steve woke during the night and could hear noises coming from the living room. Padding barefoot down the hall, he stopped when he found Jamie wrapped in a blanket, curled into a ball in the corner of the sectional couch. The television was on, the volume turned low, though Steve noted it was on a classic cartoon network.

He leaned in the entrance to the hallway for a moment, studying the young woman and searching for the bubbly teenager he had once known. When Steve shifted, she looked over suddenly; her body stiffened, and he smiled reassuringly. “It’s okay,” he said quietly. “I thought I heard something, so I came to check.” When she stayed silent but stared at him with wide eyes, he moved to sit at the opposite end of the sectional, giving her lots of space. “Can’t sleep, Jamie?”

“It’s too quiet,” she replied, relaxing slightly. “There are no cars, no people, just… There’s no _noise_.”

Steve nodded slightly in understanding. “With being just outside of town, we don’t get the traffic like we used to when we lived in the old neighbourhood,” he agreed. “I guess I just don’t notice it anymore, we’ve been here for long enough.”

Jamie licked her lips and glanced around, pulling the soft, Sherpa blanket tighter around her shoulders, burying her face into the soft fleece lining. “Is there anything I can get you, Jamie?” When she shook her head, he sighed silently and made his way to the kitchen for a glass of water. On his way back to bed, he glanced her way, pausing at the end of the couch. “Night, Jamie.”

*****


	3. Chapter 3

Bucky was up early the next morning and was pulling muffins from the oven as he glanced up and Steve emerged from his bedroom. “Coffee just finished,” Barnes revealed.

“What time were you up?” Steve asked with a groan, scratching his fingers through his hair.

“Didn’t sleep much,” Bucky replied. Checking down the hallway, he sighed and took the cup of coffee the other man offered. “She didn’t sleep much; I heard her exploring the house at one point, downstairs and the back sunroom. And… I think whatever she tried to eat upset her stomach.” When Steve frowned at him, the dark-haired alpha shook his head. “My bathroom and hers are right next to each other, man. She was in there a lot.”

“Dammit,” Steve muttered. He sat heavily at the kitchen island and growled softly. “We don’t know what she’s been eating… And I found her out on the couch, watching television around 2 am; said it was too quiet to sleep. But, if she’s been sleeping on the streets or in shelters, then Jamie isn’t used to being alone… So, what happens when we need to go to work?”

Steve’s phone ringing interrupted any more discussion. When he pulled it out of his pocket, his eyebrow raised. “Hey, Tony. I wasn’t expecting to hear from you just yet,” he said in surprise, putting the phone on speaker.

“Are you doubting my abilities?” Stark said in mock hurt.

Snorting, Steve shook his head. “No, never. So, what have you got?”

“Jason Cole’s death certificate, sadly,” the man replied somberly. “Three years, two months, 5 days ago, to be exact.”

“Three years on the street,” Bucky muttered, scrubbing his hand over his face. “Shit.”

“Looks like she might have had about six months in the place they were staying,” Tony replied. “But after that… Yeah, just over two years. I’m sorry, guys. I wish I had better news.”

Steve shook his head, clearing his throat before he could speak. “It’s more than we had before,” he replied. “Thanks, Tony. We appreciate it.”

“I’m going to keep digging, though. Something… Something keeps pinging on Jamie, it’s just buried deep. I haven’t been able to crack it, yet. But I wanted to give you some kind of update this morning. In the meantime, let me know if there’s anything else you need, okay?”

“Will do,” Steve replied before he hung up. Sinking into one of the stools at the island, he set down the phone and ran his hands through his hair that was already unruly. “When’s the last time she will have seen a doctor?” he wondered.

“Geezuz, I hadn’t even thought of that,” Bucky muttered. He took a long drink from his coffee, shaking his head before he spoke. “Fuck. We’ve gotta be so gentle with her… She’s so scared, Steve.”

“I know,” he agreed with a heavy sigh.

The pair shared a look as they scented her coming down the hall; uncertainty and fear preceding the omega. Dark circles lined under her eyes and the sling was settled with her shoulder as she rounded the corner cautiously, her eyes darting around.

Bucky smiled gently. “Morning, Jamie,” he greeted. “We have muffins, and fresh coffee, if you want anything.” He watched as Jamie licked her lips and studied the food. “Or is there anything that might be easier to eat?”

Her eyes jumped up to stare at his, and Jamie felt her face flush. “You heard me last night?”

“I didn’t mean to,” he assured.

“I kept you awake…”

The men’s faces softened as they watched the blush drain from her face, her tone almost fearful. “Jamie, it was your first night in a new place, around two alphas that you barely know anymore,” Steve said gently. “It’s going to take time for you to adjust; we understand that.”

Jamie licked her lips and nodded, her eyes darting between them. She studied the men she used to know, noting the changes she could see in them. Steve, who used to have pale blond hair, had darkened to a dark golden brown, a thick, well-trimmed beard hiding what used to be a babyface. His bright blue eyes were darker with knowledge, Jamie knew years in the military had let him see things the teen she once knew had never dreamed of, but they still stared at her with the same gentleness he always possessed. Bucky, on the other hand, had more noticeable differences; his left arm had scars running from his shoulder and chest – what she could see under his tank top – down to his fingers. The alpha’s dark chestnut hair curled around his neck and he had grown a beard as well, but his grey-blue eyes were soft as they watched her carefully. Both men had bulked up, and no matter how hard Jamie tried, she found their size alone intimidating; they weren’t the teenagers she used to know.

Bucky watched as a knock at the front door made Jamie jump, and he said, “It’s Wanda.”

“I didn’t know she was coming already,” Steve replied while the other alpha went to answer the door.

Wanda entered with a wide smile; a duffle bag slung over her shoulder. “Morning,” she greeted, her eyes seeking out the other omega, who stood timidly off to the side. “Hi, Jamie.”

Nodding in greeting, Jamie chewed her lip and stayed off to the side. Wanda set down her bag and slowly approached her, her expression open. “How are you, Jamie?” She shrugged in response but stepped into the other woman slightly. Wanda stroked a hand down her arm and asked, “Have you eaten yet?” When Jamie shook her head, the nurse said, “How about we get some food into you, then?”

Jamie rubbed her stomach slightly and frowned, chewing her cheek slightly. “I can try…”

Keeping an arm wrapped around the other woman, Wanda walked them over to the couch and urged Jamie to sit, then knelt in front of her, setting her bag next to the couch. “Your stomach not feeling well?”

“Most things don’t sit well,” Jamie confessed quietly, her eyes darting up to study the other woman’s face.

Wanda smiled gently and rested her hands onto Jamie’s knees. “Okay… What do you normally eat, hun?”

Jamie’s eyes flicked to the kitchen, but the alphas were giving the women space, and she hugged herself, shrugging with her good shoulder. “Whatever I could find, but… It just doesn’t…”

Sliding up to sit next to her, the nurse nodded. Wrapping an arm around the younger woman, Wanda let out a long breath, saying, “I was going to bring this up a little later, but I wanted to ask you a few questions. If you’re all right with it?” When Jamie nodded, Wanda went to stroke her head, but the other woman flinched her entire body freezing. Frowning, the nurse immediately moved her hand to the omega’s shoulder and shifted so she was facing her on the couch, not commenting on the sudden scent of terror pouring off her. “You’re on suppressants, I can tell that much. How were you getting them?”

“The shelters supply them,” Jamie whispered, drawing her legs up to rest her heels on the edge of the couch and shivering.

“And when are you due for your next one?” Wanda asked gently.

Swallowing hard, Jamie’s eyes drifted over to the men while she flushed. “I was going… A day or so,” she whispered.

“Okay,” Wanda said softly. “Now, I know someone, a doctor, who runs a clinic. He’s worked with the shelters before. Bruce is a beta, very laid-back.” The nurse watched as the other woman’s breathing quickened in fear, and she shuffled closer on the couch, stroking her arm and leg soothingly. “Take a deep breath for me, Jamie. You’re safe.”

“I can’t… A clinic?” Her voice was choked as she stared at the other woman with wide eyes.

“Bruce would come here,” Bucky said softly, drawing Jamie’s attention to where he stood near the back of the couch. He offered a small smile, shaking his head. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. But Steve and I know Bruce well, and he’s looked after us…” His voice died off while he flexed his left arm, his hand clenching. “Well, let’s just say often enough. He makes house calls, Jamie.”

Licking her lips, she glanced between the group, her eyes tearing. “I don’t want to be a problem,” she whispered. “He’s probably busy… And you must have to work.”

“If I had to work, I wouldn’t be here,” Wanda assured her softly, her smile gentle.

“I’ve already messaged Bruce,” Steve added, his voice hesitant. He watched Jamie’s face pale, and he rubbed at the back of his neck. “I’m sorry, Jamie. I was worried about your shoulder; I know a dislocation doesn’t always heal well, especially with owning a gym.”

“When…”

When her voice died off, Steve nodded. “He said he’d come by in a few hours,” he replied gently.

Wanda smiled. “So, let’s try a bit of food, then?” she suggested. “Split a muffin with me?”

“Coffee, Wanda?” Bucky offered. When the nurse nodded, he moved to pour her a cup, refilling his own mug and bringing over a plate of muffins as well as jams and butter for them. He also brought over the rest of the coffee in a thermal carafe, watching as Jamie picked at food.

Jamie reached forward to pour herself a cup of coffee, mixing milk and sugar into it. Before she could sit back, she took a long mouthful and paused, her entire body drawing rigid in memory. The mug clattered onto the table while she scrambled towards her room, the hand from her uninjured arm clapped over her mouth.

Wanda spared a glance to the men, then followed close behind, finding Jamie curled into a ball, wedged between the toilet and the wall, shivering. Wetting down a washcloth, the nurse knelt across from her, asking, “What can I do?” while she laid it across the back of the other woman’s neck.

Another wave of nausea rolled through Jamie, forcing her to close her eyes, swallowing hard while she broke out in a cold sweat. Memories pushed through her mind, making her flinch, until she couldn’t fight anymore and retched harshly. When Wanda reached to hold her hair, a terrified cry fell from her lips and she jerked away from the nurse. Jamie quickly realized what she had done and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

“Shhh,” Wanda soothed, her voice gentle. “Breathe, Jamie; that’s all you have to do right now.”

The women sat in silence for several moments until Jamie sagged against the wall, certain her stomach had settled. She pulled the cloth from the back of her neck and used it to wipe her forehead and face, her hand shaking while she wiped tears from her eyes and cheeks where they had fallen.

“What would you like to do?”

Jamie stared at her, then down into her lap. “Brush my teeth. And then just sit… If that’s okay?”

“Anything you want, Jamie,” Wanda assured. She stood and offered a hand to help the smaller omega to her feet, then followed her out to the main room once her teeth were brushed and she had washed her face.

The alphas shared a glance as the women emerged; Wanda shot the men a look that advised against commenting, while Jamie simply sat on the couch without a word. The injured omega’s scent was sour with embarrassment, fear, and pain. Steve watched Jamie pull a blanket over her lap while she cuddled into the corner of the couch, hunching her shoulders and curling as tightly into herself as she could manage, looking up to watch the cartoons that were on the television.

After a quick glance at Bucky, the men sighed and went about cleaning the kitchen before they joined the women in the living room, though on the far side of the room.

*****


	4. Chapter 4

The group sat in almost silence, aside from some laughter at the antics on the screen, for the next few hours. Wanda messaged on her phone off and on, but stayed close to the woman next to her until there was a knock at the door. Jamie pushed to her feet and turned while Steve answered the door. She studied the man who walked in, a beta who exuded calmness, but his presence still made her swallow hard. Wanda took the woman’s shaking hand and murmured, “Just breathe.”

Bruce smiled gently as he took off his coat and picked up his bag. “We’ll take things slow, Jamie,” he assured the young woman. “There’s no rush at all today. Okay?”

The omega clung to Wanda’s hand, but she nodded slightly. The nurse wrapped her other arm around the other woman and said, “Are you okay moving to your room, and Bruce can meet us there in a minute once we’ve settled?” When Jamie nodded, the women walked down the hallway.

Bucky offered Bruce a cup of coffee, and he smiled, joining the men in the kitchen. “Just half a cup, thanks. I don’t want to leave her too long; she’ll get too anxious,” he replied.

“We can’t thank you enough,” Steve said quietly. “For coming out here.”

“Of course,” Bruce assured, waving a hand with a grin. “From what you told me, and Wanda added in, I would never have expected Jamie to come to the clinic. I’m just glad I could help.” When the door to Jamie’s room opened, the doctor nodded at Wanda and spared a grin to the men. “That’s my cue.”

Steve and Bucky watched him go, letting out heavy sighs. They had been relieved Jamie agreed to see Bruce and knew it likely had to do with his ability to provide her with suppressants. As long as the omega was seen by a doctor, neither cared; it reassured them that she was at least physically all right.

“Now we just have to see if we can convince her to see Clint,” Bucky muttered.

Chuckling, Steve rubbed his hands over his face. “One thing at a time, Buck,” he muttered.

It was almost two hours later when Bruce walked out of Jamie’s bedroom, closing the door softly behind him. He found the alphas watching television, but they stood anxiously when he emerged, setting his bag down at the edge of the couch. “She’s curled up with Wanda, just settling,” Bruce explained quietly.

“And physically?” Bucky asked hesitantly.

“Her shoulder’s healing well; you did a good job putting it back into place and her omega healing has taken over. She’ll be sore there for a few days, but I don’t anticipate any problems with it. There are bruises from when you found her in the alley, and older ones, that are all healing and fading,” Bruce replied. “Her stomach issues come from a lingering infection; I suspect. I’ve given her antibiotics, as well as probiotics to help even out the flora in her intestines. She should notice a marked improvement in about four or five days; until then, food still won't be her friend, unfortunately.” He sat on the edge of the couch and ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve taken blood samples, I’ll run get them into the lab when I get back.”

“Is there anything we can get you? A drink?” Bucky offered, motioning to the kitchen.

Shaking his head, Bruce smiled. “No, thank you,” he said softly. “I’m going to head back. It’s early enough I can get the bloodwork done today and have results later, or first thing tomorrow; I’m putting a rush on them. If you need anything, or something crops up, don’t hesitate to call me, okay?”

Steve walked him to the door and letting out a long breath as he came back. He moved to the kitchen and stared into the backyard, rubbing a hand over his neck. “More freezing rain,” he muttered.

“The shop is gonna be full,” Bucky said with a heavy sigh. “Everyone is going to be calling for snow tire appointments.”

“And I know a day off is okay, but T’Challa hasn't managed a flight back and Thor just started vacation,” Steve groaned. He sighed heavily, shaking his head. “The gym is going to be one of the worst places for her to be, I expect; it’s full of alphas, and the scents will be overwhelming.”

Bucky nodded in agreement. “We can offer if Jamie wants, for her to come to the shop with me? We have the lounge, the staff kitchen, my office… There are a lot of places she can hang out and get away from everyone. I just don’t think her staying here alone is a good idea…”

“Okay,” came a soft reply.

The men looked up to see Jamie in the hallway, Wanda just emerging from the bedroom. Jamie licked her lips, and could barely meet their eyes, but she nodded. “I’ll go to the shop,” Jamie agreed. The idea of staying at the house alone made her anxiety rise, her chest tightening, but she knew the men had to work; it was only Tuesday.

“How about some toast?” Wanda offered to the other woman.

When Jamie nodded, Bucky waved a hand to Wanda, setting about making the food for her. After handing it over, the men retreated to the office, giving the women space. Wanda stayed with Jamie until dinner when she headed home. The nurse left Jamie with instructions that if she needed anything, she was to call Wanda, whenever she needed, no matter the time of day or night. Steve had gone food shopping during the afternoon, buying yogurt, saltines, bananas, as well as other groceries, but knowing those were easiest for an upset stomach. It allowed Jamie to have things to eat whenever she wanted, which might not react badly to her system.

The next morning, Jamie was dressed and ready to go with Bucky to the garage, though she had spent another restless night wandering the house. He introduced her to the staff at the shop, and Jamie was surprised to see two women working there, one of them an alpha: the rest of the staff male betas.

Bucky watched his friends smile gently but kept their distance; Jamie’s scent was sour with fear. Barnes showed her to his office and watched her curl onto his couch, pulling the blanket off the back to wrap around her shoulders. “Take a deep breath for me, Jamie,” he said gently, kneeling in front of her.

“I’m sorry,” she breathed, closing her eyes and burying her face into the fleece. She could tell Bucky napped in here; the blanket was covered heavily in his scent, mixed with the smell of grease and oil of the shop.

“I knew it wasn’t going to be easy coming here,” he replied with a small smile. “At least not the first time.”

A soft knock at the door interrupted them, and Bucky turned as it opened. Jamie watched as the beta woman who worked there, opened the door. “Sorry to interrupt,” she said softly. “I just wanted to let you know that our supplier, Wong, called and wanted to touch base with you yesterday. I told him you’d be in today, but he could be calling anytime.”

“Thanks, Shuri,” Bucky agreed with a short nod.

“Is there anything I can get you, Jamie? You want anything to drink from the lounge?”

Jamie could feel the calming waves the beta exuded, and found herself letting out a long breath, her nerves settling. “I’m okay, thank you,” she replied with a small smile.

Bucky grinned as he watched some of the tension settle from the omega in front of him, and he nodded at Shuri gratefully. “I need to get out on the floor,” he said, drawing Jamie’s attention back to him. “I brought the tablet from home, and it’s hooked up to the shop’s wi-fi, so you’re all set if you want to watch movies or play games. If you need anything, just give a yell for me, or let someone know and they’ll grab me, okay? I’ll check-in, in between jobs.”

Jamie nodded, hugging her arm to her chest. “I’ll be okay,” she promised.

The day passed uneventfully for Jamie; she slept fitfully in short spurts, each time waking with a gasp. She watched movies on the tablet and even ventured out to the garage to watch everyone work, the metallic scents filling her nose. Jamie watched when the second she walked out into the area, Bucky’s head rose, his eyes zeroing in on her in concern. She shook her head slightly, letting him know she was all right and sat on a box to silently observe.

By the end of the day, Bucky found Jamie back in the office, playing games on the tablet, music playing from the computer as it scrolled through YouTube randomly. “Ready to head home?” he asked, watching as she glanced up. The omega nodded, and he sighed silently; she was speaking so little, and though Bucky was sure it was because she was nervous in the uncertain environment, he wished he knew some way to reassure her.

When Friday morning came, and Jamie rode into work the same as he had the two previous days, she could sense nervous energy coming from him. Though Thursday had been similar, Jamie had found she now ventured into the waiting area for clients by Thursday afternoon. There she had found a recliner, and the television had the movie networks, where she could lounge; getting up in between movies to walk around and stretch. Jamie had stopped wearing the sling and was slowly starting to stretch her arm while she moved. She had started a comedy from her teens when she heard Bucky’s voice in the doorway a few hours after she had settled on Friday.

“I can’t believe you’ve waited this long to put your snow tires on,” Barnes said, shaking his head at the other man as they wandered into the lounge. “Nat must be fuming.”

“Yeah, she’s about to have my hide,” he agreed with a chuckle.

Jamie glanced up from where she was curled in one of the recliners to see the alpha clapping a man on the shoulder, a beta, and she could tell the two were friends. Bucky glanced at her and smiled reassuringly.

“Jamie, this is Clint, he’s a friend and Pietro is working on his car,” Barnes introduced softly.

“Buck, phone call!” Carol yelled.

The alpha sighed and hesitated, but Jamie nodded. “It’s okay,” she said quietly. She watched him study her face closely before she nodded again in reassurance. Bucky left, though it was reluctant, and Jamie glanced back at the man who was pouring himself a coffee.

“Want a top-up?” Clint offered, noticing hers was half-full.

“No, I’m good. I like it cold,” she replied. She watched him pause and nod, before he settled onto the couch across from her, crossing his ankle over his knee. Swallowing in the silence, Jamie cleared her throat. “You know Bucky and Steve?”

Clint watched as she picked up her mug and stared down into it, unable to meet his eyes as she spoke, but he nodded anyway. “Yeah. My wife, Natasha, was in the military with them, and now works with Steve at the gym,” he confirmed.

“I’ve heard them mention her; she took over when Steve stayed home right after they found me,” she said softly. “He offered to let me hang out there, but…” Jamie shuddered and pulled the lap blanket up higher on her chest, drawing her knees up closer. “There are so many alphas at gyms and _so_ many people…”

“I get that,” he agrees. “I'll go sometimes, but we have equipment at home for when I just can’t take being around all the knot-heads. Steve had equipment before he bought the place, and I bought it off him when he didn’t need it anymore. He’s so meticulous, it was basically in new condition.”

A ghost of a smile touched her lips and Jamie nodded. “Sounds like him,” she replied, sipping at her coffee. “So, what do you do?”

Letting out a long breath, Clint studied her as he said, “I’m a counsellor.”

She stiffened and stared at him; her eyes closely detailed every line on his face and noted though his eyes were gentle, he was closely watching her and waiting for her to react. “So, this was a set-up.”

“It really wasn’t, Jamie,” he assured; her anxiety was through the roof, the room filled with the bitter scent of it. “I booked the appointment to have my snow tires when Bucky was off, the day after they found you. I don’t think he realized until yesterday. I offered to move my appointment to the weekend, but with the weather, he didn’t want to risk it.”

Jamie frowned but nodded. “He seemed… There was something this morning on the ride in today,” she muttered.

“You’re under absolutely no pressure here Jamie,” Clint assured softly. “Steve and Bucky _did_ want us to meet, but they didn’t want to spring this on you, and sure as shit not this soon, I know that much.”

She snorted at his phrasing while she studied the man, chewing her lower lip slightly. While Jamie could tell why the beta was in the field he had chosen: he was calm and approachable, his frank language also suggested he was unconventional. Though she felt no pressure to speak with him, Jamie could easily see herself opening up. “Do you… Do you have an office?” she asked, staring down into her coffee, running her thumb along the ceramic.

“I work out of the house,” he confirmed. “Nat and I live just a couple miles away.” Clint watched as she swallowed and nodded in response. “There’s no rush, Jamie.”

“I wouldn’t even know where to start,” she whispered, her voice hoarse.

Clint smiled gently. “Whenever you think you’re ready, darlin,” he assured. “We can talk about the weather. Your favourite colour. Hell, you can count the cracks in my ceiling, if you want.”

“You have cracks in your ceiling?” she asked with a small laugh.

“Adds character,” he replied with a grin.

She stared up at the television and chewed her lip. “Do you have any time tomorrow? Wait...it's Saturday...”

“How's just after lunch?” he offered when her voice died off. “Weekends are just another day to me, Jamie, no problem. I could come by the guy’s place and get you if that works?”

Jamie swallowed and nodded. “Yeah, okay.”

The pair fell into silence. Bucky stopped by later, his eyes sweeping over Jamie first, whose eyes were glued on the movie, before looking at the beta. Clint gave him a small grin and pushed to his feet to refill his coffee. While he was standing, his phone rang and he gave a small nod to the pair, walking out as he answered.

“Everything okay?” Bucky asked Jamie, once they were alone.

She nodded, picking at the blanket. “I’m going to go see Clint tomorrow after lunch,” she murmured.

He moved to sit on the table next to the recliner, leaning forward on his arms. “I didn’t mean to spring this on you, Jamie. I’m sorry.”

“I know,” she agreed. “I’m not mad.” Jamie glanced up to see his concerned face still watching her, and she shrugged with her good shoulder. “Go, work.”

Grinning, Bucky nodded. “Okay. You know where to find me if you need me.”

*****


	5. Chapter 5

Tony arrived at the house with a file tucked under his arm Saturday afternoon, his face grim. He glanced around the house cautiously, his tone lowered, and asked, “Where’s Jamie?”

Frowning at his demeanour, Bucky replied, “She’s seeing Clint. Why, what’s going on?”

Running a hand through his hair, Stark paced into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee, leaning back against the kitchen counter to face the men. “Sit,” he instructed in a dark voice, watching as the alphas did, though they shared a confused glance. “You’re gonna stay there, no matter what I say, and not interrupt while I talk. Got it?”

A feeling of dread started to fill Steve, but he nodded. “Yeah, Tony. We’re good,” he assured.

“The file that kept pinging on Jamie? I finally found it, and cracked it,” Stark explained, his voice empty of the usual flippancy. “It was police and court files.”

“She’s been arrested?” Bucky asked in surprise.

“ _Ah_! No interrupting. The original charges were assault, but when her lawyer was amazing, they tried to downgrade them to solicitation. Twice,” Tony continued with a snort, watching as the men stiffened. He raised his finger to point at the pair of alphas in warning, but they kept their word and continued to stay seated, Stark sighed. “From what I can tell, Jamie was soliciting oral sex when she needed, to earn money. But a few alphas tried to knot her mouth…” The explosive growls from the men across from him made the beta pause as the room filled with the scent of their fury, but he understood. As Stark had read the files, it had made him sick, and could not imagine for the pair who had known the young woman since they had been children. He paused to let them calm down, taking long breaths, while Tony forced calming waves into the room; it was one of the hardest things the beta had ever had to do when he himself wanted to do what he could to make the assholes pay. “Jamie carried a small knife…”

“She still does,” Bucky confirmed softly, unable to stay silent, his hands over his face. “She had it the day I found her in the alley.”

Tony smiled slightly. “She stabbed the alphas in the thighs, close to the groin, but not close enough to the femoral to be charged with attempted murder. Managed to do some damage to the men; damned good on her as far as I’m concerned. When paramedics arrived on the scene, both times, their knots were still more than evident from the trauma, and they made clear notes, so did the ER doctors,” he explained. “Jamie’s attorney proved, beyond a doubt, that the alphas were trying to do her severe harm, and that she was acting in self-defence. As for the solicitation… Since she was under duress, that was dismissed, the judge looked at it as the alphas assaulted her. It’s why it took me longer to find everything. Unfortunately, the assholes were all wealthy... They settled it out of court, and didn’t serve a damned day.”

“Who was her attorney?” Steve murmured, his voice hoarse.

“Maria Hill,” Tony replied. “Pepper actually knows her, hell of a woman, apparently.”

“Geezuz,” Bucky suddenly groaned, getting up from the table to pace.

Steve frowned, glancing at Tony then back to his best friend. “What is it, Buck?”

“Jamie can’t stand having the back of her head touched,” he replied, turning to stare at the men. “She flinches. But, if that happened, and she was performing oral sex for money…”

“The idea would just set her off, or bring back memories,” Tony agreed softly. “Who knows what those knot-heads did to her.”

Steve laid his head on his hand, shaking it. “At least now we know why,” he sighed. “I’ve noticed her cringing too, so I avoid it, I just never thought much about why.”

“I don’t think it’s something anyone would think about,” Tony said gently, his brow furrowed as he watched the men sink into themselves. “I wish I had good news; you have no idea how much I wish it was something better than this.”

“I’m glad you found out, Tony,” Steve replied, standing. “Thank you.”

The beta nodded, taking each of their outstretched hands. “If there’s anything else I can do, don’t hesitate,” Stark said firmly.

“We won’t,” Bucky agreed. He watched while Steve walked the other man out, then started pacing, his hands vibrating with anger. “I can’t be like this when she comes home. Neither of us can be.”

“I know,” Steve agreed. “I’ll text Clint to have him let us know when he’s going to leave to drop her off and let’s go for a run.”

Bucky nodded in agreement and went to change. He knew both of them were going to have to run hard and fast to get the anger out of their systems; neither man wanted to scare Jamie, and they needed to be able to look at her without giving away they knew what had happened to her when she returned. Back in the living room, a quick glance showed Steve showing the same way he was feeling. “Not sure we’re gonna be able to run far enough for this one,” Bucky muttered.

“Was thinking the same,” Steve sighed. “Still gotta try.”

*****

She hadn’t known what to expect when she reached Clint’s house, but the office was set off to the side, just behind the garage. Large windows seemed to overlook the same protected land that was behind Steve and Bucky’s home. Jamie had studied the view while Clint made them coffee; she asked for ice in hers. She had waited until the liquid was cold, then sipped, curled into a ball, both hands holding the cup to her chest as she chewed her lip. He had offered her hot chocolate or tea if she preferred, but she shook her head. “It doesn’t matter the drink, I just… I can’t drink it if it’s too warm,” she said quietly.

Blowing on his coffee, he took a small sip of his drink while he studied her. Clint said nothing, simply nodded, knowing she would fill the silence when she felt ready.

“If it’s too warm, it reminds me too much of…” Jamie stood, unable to face him, and paced in front of the windows. She set down the drink and ran her hands through her hair. The words started to tumble out, her life over the last three years, in halting, pain-filled sentences.

An hour later, Jamie had fallen silent, hugging herself, but continued to pace. Though she had doubted, coming here, she would be able to speak about anything during this first visit. But once she started, Jamie couldn’t stop; she had revealed to the beta about ending up on the street, trading oral sex for money, how often she had needed to defend herself; only twice had alphas tried to knot her, but so many others had been violent. She was ashamed and disgusted with herself, her body was trembling, and the blood rushed through her ears. Jamie knew she had zoned out of everything in the room, which made her anxiety rise further; her vision darkened as she gasped for air. She looked up suddenly to see Clint in front of her, his eyes soft, even as she startled.

“Jamie, take a deep breath,” he instructed softly, his hands reaching up to gently hold her upper arms, grounding her. Clint watched her, though it was uneven and shook, and he nodded. “Good. Now another.”

She followed his instructions, breathing for a few minutes under his quiet guidance until her vision cleared, and she could look up at him. Jamie hadn’t realized she was crying until he reached up to wipe the tears from her cheeks gently. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“This isn’t an easy process,” he said softly. “And it’s gonna suck at times, I won’t lie and say that it won’t, Jamie.”

She snorted, then started laughing. “You’re not like any counsellor I’ve ever met,” she admitted.

“I will take that as a compliment,” he replied with a broad grin. “Feel okay to sit again?” She nodded and settled into the overstuffed armchair again, hugging the blanket over her lap again, while Clint sat back down into the chair across from her. “How are things going at the house? You doing okay there?”

Jamie licked her lips, picking at the fleece on her legs. “I am, yeah,” she agreed. “I… They make me feel safe.”

“That’s good,” he said gently.

“It’s just… It’s weird,” she continued. “I haven’t had a stable place to stay in so long. And I’m really not used to sleeping in a bed… The cots at the shelter weren’t as comfortable, that’s for sure. I have nightmares that… I only sleep for a few hours at a time. I trained myself not to scream a long time ago; it was always better at the shelters, and on the streets, if you were quiet. You never wanted anyone to hear you,” Jamie’s voice trailed off and she pulled the blanket up, nearly under her arms. “But… Once I’m up, I can’t stay in my room; I need to _move_. And I can hear them listening for me when I get up to pace. I try not to wake them up, but…”

“They worry,” Clint supplied when she fell quiet again.

Jamie nodded, swallowing hard. “I just…” Clearing her throat, she met his eyes and forced a smile. “I haven’t had anyone worrying over me since my brother. It’s…so strange.”

“It’s the type of alphas they are,” he agreed with a chuckle. “Nat’s the same way. Once they consider you part of their circle, it’s hard to shake them off. And, from the way they react to you, they never stopped considering you one of their people from when you were all younger.” Her brow furrowed while she chewed her lip while Clint studied her, watching her squirm where she sat. “That bothers you.”

“With everything I’ve done…”

Her voice choked off in her throat and Clint leaned forward. “Jamie, look at me,” he said softly, waiting patiently until her eyes finally rose to meet his. “Steve and Bucky were in the military. They’ve each done things they’re not proud of. And even if they hadn’t, they aren’t the type to judge anyone, trust me. They’re good men.”

Blowing out a long, slow breath, Jamie nodded. “I know… At least, I’m starting to remember,” she replied, a small smile crossing her face. “Will you do something for me?”

“Of course,” he agreed.

Picking up her abandoned drink, Jamie studied the melting ice and swirled the glass and let out a long breath while she thought carefully. “If something comes up, or I say something that you think Steve and Bucky should know… Will you please tell them?” she asked, finally looking back up at the beta. He frowned slightly, but she shook her head. “I’ll sign anything you need, make it all legal, but… I know my reactions aren’t normal anymore. And I get that no one expects them to be. But we both know they watch; you’ve admitted that much yourself, and they know you. They’ll bring up concerns to you, and I don’t want you to feel like you have to hide if you have information that could help them understand something.”

Clint nodded, smiling gently. “I’ll pull up a release, just to cover us both,” he agreed. “But if that’s what you want, Jamie, then yeah. I can tell it’ll help ease your mind.” When she let out a relieved sigh, his grin widened. “So, what have you been watching on television when you wake up?”

Laughing softly, Jamie shook her head. “Classic Looney Tunes. Who better to keep me company than Bugs and the gang?”

“Couldn’t agree more.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanda in this story is of Romanian descent, and calls Jamie 'lepuras' - it translates to bunny.

Bucky had stayed home, working on paperwork in the office and Jamie played on the tablet, while Steve had driven into town for groceries Sunday afternoon. She was distracted by a phone ringing and realized Bucky had left his cell phone on the counter, just as he appeared to answer it.

Looking at the call display, he answered it. “Did you forget the list again?” Bucky paused, a deep frown crossing his face. “Wanda, how did you get his phone… What kind of accident?... Is he all right??” Rubbing a hand over his face, he let out a relieved breath and nodded silently, staring at the wall for several minutes. “Yeah, yeah, I’m here, Wanda. When can he be released?... No, of course, I’ll uh… I’ll call someone to come and pick him up… Yeah, I’m okay, I promise. Thanks for being the one to call. If anything changes… Okay.” Hanging up, the alpha growled dangerously, then pressed a button to dial another number, waiting impatiently for them to pick up when the scent of fear reached him. His eyes looked up to see Jamie watching him, her knees drawn up to her chest. When no one answered on the other end, he hung up, sent a quick text and slowly approached the couch with his hands held out. “Jamie, I’m sorry. It’s all right.”

“What happened to Steve?” she whispered.

“He was hit by a drunk driver,” Bucky explained gently as he sat down. He realized his outburst hadn’t frightened her, that she was afraid for the other man, and he shuffled closer. “Steve’s all right, I promise. He’s got a concussion, some stitches, and he’s bruised to hell and back, I’m sure. But he’s okay.”

His phone started ringing before he could continue, and Bucky sighed, but looked down and answered. “Clint, hey. I need a favour.”

“Is Jamie all right?” the beta asked immediately.

“She is, Steve isn’t,” Bucky replied with a sigh. “He was in a fender bender and needs a pickup from the hospital. Wanda’s working…”

“Say no more, I’ll go,” Clint assured easily.

Jamie straightened slightly. “I want to go,” she said, her voice firm.

Bucky was surprised, and stared at her, noted the soft blush that coloured her face. “Are you sure?”

She nodded, but Clint had heard. “Tell her I’ll swing by on my way to the hospital. Be there in five minutes,” he easily agreed.

Hanging up the phone, Bucky nodded. “Clint says he’ll be here in about five minutes,” he told her.

Staring down, Jamie chewed her lip. “I’ll go grab a sweater,” she agreed.

She was still in her room when the beta arrived, and Bucky let him in. Barnes frowned, keeping his voice low while he said, “Is this a good idea?”

“The fact she wanted to go, is a good sign,” Clint pointed out. “How are _you_ doing?”

Running a hand through his hair, the alpha blew out a long breath and shrugged. “I know he’s okay,” he admitted. “But I just… You know I can’t go there.”

“Which is what I’m here for,” Clint assured him, patting him on the back. Jamie emerged, hugging herself with wide eyes as she approached the men. “Ready to go, darlin?” She nodded silently and he held open the door for her, giving the alpha a small nod of assurance as they left.

The car ride was silent, Clint exuding calm while Jamie fidgeted; her knee bounced, and she picked nervously at the sweater she had worn. Once the reached the hospital reception, Wanda met them, hugging Jamie while glancing at Clint in surprise, then leading the pair to where Steve sat on a cot that was inclined so he was sitting up. The left side of his face had exploded in bruises, steri-strips covered stitches above his eyebrow and just below his cheekbone, he hugged his left arm against his ribs, and Clint imagined they were likely bruised from the impact. His head was laying back against the pillows, but the instant Jamie walked inside the curtain, he caught her scent and his eyes opened; he sought her out.

The lights in his area were lowered; Jamie knew he had a concussion, but she watched Steve’s eyes focus directly onto her face, and he smiled slightly. “Are you all right?” Jamie asked quietly.

“Been through worse,” he replied with a small shrug. Steve could see her shivering slightly, could scent the distress coming from her, and he reached out his right hand, uncertain if she would even take it. Jamie hesitated, then stepped closer and placed one of her hands into his, still hugging herself with her other arm. Steve interlaced their fingers, used the grip to pull her closer while he stroked his thumb over her knuckles, and held her gaze as he said, “Jamie, I promise; I’m okay.”

Her eyes detailed over the marks on his face while she chewed on the side of her lip. Jamie’s mind thought back to another face, bloodied, cuts from shards of glass. A sheet had been drawn down to the shoulders for her to identify…

“Jamie?” Steve’s soft voice startled her; he watched her blink wide eyes at him while a tear escaped before she reached up to wipe it into the sleeve of the sweater. “What is it?” he asked, his voice gentle.

“Nothing,” she whispered her throat tight.

Clint, who had slipped out, came back in and studied the pair. “Ready to blow this joint?”

“Hell yeah,” the alpha agreed. He squeezed Jamie’s hand one last time before letting go and slowly pushed himself until he was sitting up, then paused and took several deep breaths through his nose.

“You good, man?”

“Nauseous,” Steve admitted, still breathing slow.

Wanda appeared as he spoke, pushing a wheelchair. “Hospital policy; you don’t walk out. But, give me one second, I’ll give you something before you leave for the nausea.” The nurse disappeared, then quickly came back with an injection. She administered it in his bicep, then nodded. “Should settle you for the trip home. But anything springs back up…”  
  
“I’ve got gravol at home,” he agreed. “And I know, someone has to check on me overnight.”

“I know you’ve done this with Bucky, but humour me,” Wanda scolded, remembering back to when the other alpha had been on the receiving end of care.

Clint reached over to push the wheelchair, and when Wanda frowned at him, the beta slid his eyes from the nurse to Jamie. Wanda’s eyes followed, to see Jamie’s shoulders hunched in on herself, arms wrapped tightly around herself, her eyes trained on Steve.

“Why don’t we go get the car, while Clint meets us at the door, Jamie?” Wanda offered, wrapping an arm around the other woman and taking the keys from Clint. When she nodded slightly, the nurse smiled at the men. “We’ll meet you at the main entrance.”

Outside, Jamie turned into Wanda, burying her face into the other woman’s neck and scenting her. She clung as she shivered, whimpering, and felt the nurse reach up to hug her tightly as she wrapped her arms around Jamie’s shoulders. “Breathe, _lepuras_ ,” Wanda counselled gently, baring her neck to allow the other omega to draw in her scent to ground herself. After a few moments, the other woman drew away, and Wanda held her shoulders to steady her. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah,” she whispered, nodded. “Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me, Jamie,” Wanda assured her. She wrapped her arm around the other woman’s shoulders and started them slowly walking towards the car.

By the time they pulled it up to the front of the hospital, the men were there waiting. Jamie got out of the passenger seat, and when Steve tried to insist that she sit in front, she said, “You can recline the seat and relax from the front; you can’t in the back.”

The ride back to the house was silent; Jamie’s eyes continually studying Steve’s quiet form as he reclined. Clint checked on her in the rear-view mirror frequently, the counsellor interested in the omega’s reaction.

Bucky met them outside when they reached the house, helping Steve from the car and making certain he was steady into the house. Once he was settled onto the couch, Bucky walked Clint to the door. “I can’t thank you enough,” the alpha breathed.

“Hey, that’s what friends are for,” Clint assured, shaking his head. “You’re doing okay?”

Nodding, Bucky nodded and ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah. I’m glad it was Wanda that called; I knew what his injuries were and that he was okay,” he said with a smile. “But… Is Jamie okay?”

Clint sighed, chewing his lip. “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “And I don’t want to poke too hard right now.” His phone dinged, and he glanced at the message with a grin. “Wanda said she’ll drop off groceries on the way home with Sam.”

Bucky snorted, shaking his head. “Sam must have seen them in the back of the car. I asked him to go arrange for the tow to the garage since I wasn’t sure when you would be home.”

“You guys good for dinner?” Clint asked.

“I can’t imagine Steve’s gonna be all that hungry; I remember what it was like after my concussion,” Bucky replied with a sigh. “And Jamie… She still doesn’t eat much, really. I’ll probably just make a sandwich for myself.”

Clint nodded and hugged the alpha briefly. “Tell Steve that Nat will look after the gym for a few days; he won’t be able to work until things have settled. Thor’s back from vacation, so they’re set for staff. His main goal is just to heal.”

“I’ll make sure he takes it easy,” Bucky agreed.

Letting the man out, Barnes made his way back to the couch. Steve had sat in the corner of the sectional, stretched out along one side of it with his legs propped up. “Either of you hungry?” Bucky asked, sitting on the arm of the couch.

Steve opened his eyes, his fingers absently running over his forehead gently. “Probably should eat, just not sure what,” he admitted.

When Jamie shrugged slightly, in response, Bucky nodded. “How about oatmeal? Should be easy enough for your stomach, punk; and Jamie, you can eat whenever you’re ready?” he offered, knowing she would not touch it while it was hot.

The pair agreed, and he moved to start a pot for them. After setting down the food for Jamie, and handing the bowl to Steve, Bucky answered the door, helping Wanda and Sam with the groceries with a frown. “How did you even know what we needed?”

“Found Steve’s list,” Sam replied with a chuckle. “Went through what was salvageable in the car, that didn’t have glass on it and wasn’t perishable, and went back to get what you needed.”

“You really didn’t have to,” Bucky said with a small smile.

Waving her hand, Wanda glanced at the couch. “It was no trouble, you know that. How’s everything here?”

“I think it’ll probably be a quiet night in,” he replied with a long breath, putting things away.

“Probably better than partying, I’d think,” Sam agreed with a soft laugh, glancing at the pair in the living room. Wanda had gone over to check on them, and the beta shook his head. “The car isn’t drivable; dude hit the front fender and did a lot of damage. We’ll have to wait and see what the insurance says. It doesn’t look like a write-off to me, but that’s more your department than mine.”  
  
Bucky grinned and nodded. “I’ll look at it tomorrow, but it’s the adjuster’s decision ultimately.”

Wanda sat between the pair on the couch, laying her hand on Jamie’s leg while her eyes studied the man who had just finished eating. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I was hit by a truck,” Steve replied with a grin. A sharp inhale, and the scent of distress drew his attention, and his eyes moved to Jamie, who had her knees drawn up to her chest as she stared at him. “Jamie, I’m all right, I promise. I have a hard head.”

“I’ll agree to that,” Wanda said with a laugh. Pushing to her feet, she leaned over to press a kiss to Steve’s cheek, then ran a hand down Jamie’s arm. “Call if you need us for anything.”

“Yes, boss,” Steve agreed, shifting further down on the couch to make himself comfortable. The couple said their goodbyes and Jamie stood. Steve watched her and frowned. “You okay?”

“I’m going for a bath,” she replied quietly.

They watched her go, Bucky moving to sit on the couch with food for himself. “We’re missing something, aren’t we?”

“ _Oh_ yeah,” Steve agreed. He leaned his head back against the cushions and resumed rubbing at his head. “Her expression was lost when she saw me at the hospital, but I don’t know where her mind went.”

Bucky growled, shaking his head, then studied his best friend. “Anything I can get you?”

“Nah. Might spend the night here though. Ribs aren’t broken but hurt like a bitch. So, laying propped up and with the side of the couch to support my side will help, I think,” Steve replied.

*****


	7. Chapter 7

Jamie lingered in her room; she had washed her hair and pinned it up then spent over an hour curled into the corner of the tub. When her skin was wrinkled and the water was no longer hot enough to be comforting, she changed into warm clothes and moved out to her room, aimlessly. She had been sitting at the chair in her room, staring out the window… She didn’t even know for how long now.

Bucky had checked on her before going to bed, sticking his head into her room to wish her a good night. Jamie’s mind wouldn’t turn off, and she finally sighed to herself, getting up to move to the living room, where she paused to find Steve laying on the couch.

He looked up and smiled slightly. “Hey,” he greeted quietly.

“I… If you’re trying to sleep, I’ll go…”

Steve waved his hand at her, motioning to the television. “Nah, can’t fall asleep,” he admitted. “I’ve had a concussion before – back when I played football in high school. It was minor, but I seem to recall it was like this, with a headache from hell, and wide awake. Wanna come watch cartoons with me?” Steve had noticed she avoided any television that was serious, preferring mindlessness; he understood the need to simply be distracted, and when he heard her coming, had changed the channel.

Jamie hesitated for a moment, chewing the inside of her cheek, then moved to sit next to him. He leaned forward to grab his water glass, but when she heard him hiss, Jamie grabbed it for him, holding it out for Steve to take. He took it and transferred the glass to his left hand, then held out his right, the one closer to her, waiting to see if she would take it.

She studied his face, saw the patience in his eyes, then slowly took his hand and moved closer to him. Steve studied her face, noted the tightness around her eyes, felt the fine tremble through her hand, and he squeezed her fingers, stroked his thumb over her skin. “Talk to me, Jamie,” he urged. “What’s bothering you?”

“When Wanda called, and Bucky said it was a car accident…”

Steve frowned when her voice died off, turning just his head to face her. “Who did you see when you were in the hospital?” he asked gently. “Because I know it wasn’t me when you first walked in there.”

“It was a car accident with Jason,” Jamie said quietly. She watched Steve’s face soften further, and he sighed.

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” he said. “Bucky and I didn’t know how he passed.”

Jamie shook her head, staring down at their joined hands. “I didn’t think you did,” she replied. She turned to watch the television, but she could feel the concern radiating from him, the weight of his hand where he still stroked his thumb over her knuckles. “It was raining hard that night, and so late; Jason had stayed behind at work and was on his way home. He ended up hydroplaning off the road and into a utility pole.”

Steve listened to Jamie speak, her voice so soft that if he hadn't been next to her, he might have missed her words, and he frowned. “I’m sorry you had to come to the hospital for me,” he murmured.

“I asked to go,” she quickly told him, turning to face him. Jamie noticed he was back to rubbing his head with his left hand, the glass between his thighs. A small grimace covered his face, and she shuffled closer. “I had to see… I wanted to make sure you were okay. I just wasn’t expecting to react like that. Can I?” Since Steve held her right hand, she reached up with her left hand towards his head. Once he had nodded, Jamie threaded her fingers into his hair and gently started to massage his scalp. She watched as he relaxed his head back onto the pillows and stared at her with soft eyes.

Steve was surprised she was willing to get so close, but glad Jamie’s guard was coming down. This close he could see the dark circles under her eyes, and knew she had to be utterly exhausted herself; he wished he knew how to help her sleep for more than a few hours at a time. A long sigh worked its way from his chest as he felt the muscles in his head relax while she massaged, and he watched a smile ghost across her lips.

His face snuggled into the cushions and Jamie studied his face while his eyes drifted closed. A contented sound rumbled from his chest “I remember watching you guys practice football,” she said quietly. “Running through all the drills, offence and defence line-ups, tackles.”

“You always had music playing,” he replied, his eyes still closed.

“I wore headphones, but I never turned the music on,” Jamie said with a grin. She watched him open his eyes to stare at her in surprise. “It was funny to listen to you all tease and bitch at each other.” He blinked tiredly, and she skimmed her fingers through his hair. “Get some sleep.”

Grinning, Steve stared at her and let his eyes drift closed. It was one of the first times the omega’s scent had softened completely since coming to stay at the house; the sweet-spicy mix of honey and cinnamon filled his head as he relaxed. He also realized that she had not released his hand, and while he started to doze off, his fingers tightened slightly on hers.

Jamie watched him finally manage to fall asleep, smiling slightly. She stared at the bruises that were darkening, more were slowly appearing as the hours wore on. She let out a long, shaky breath while her mind wandered; she had dreamed of this as a teen but at some point, never thought she would be this close to the alpha. Jamie moved to pull away, but Steve’s hand tightened around hers briefly. Even in his sleep, he knew where she was.

Once he relaxed and let her go, Jamie quietly moved down to the back sunroom, staring out over the backyard, staring up at the sky. This far out of town, there was no light pollution, and the stars were brilliant. She often came back here during the night when she couldn’t sleep, spent time staring up at the inky blackness for hours, or watching mindless cartoons. Anything to distract herself. Not wanting to wake Steve, knowing after the injuries the alpha received in the accident, he needed his rest. Jamie knew it was going to be a long night.

*****

Steve stayed home for two days, resting quietly, but at night when he struggled to fall asleep, Jamie gently massaged his head until he drifted off. On Wednesday, since Steve was going back to work, Jamie headed back into the garage with Bucky, but the trio all drove together.

Though they had just dropped him off in the morning, Bucky had finished work early in the afternoon, so Jamie and he had gone inside to see if Steve was finished. The scents of the gym were nearly overwhelming for her; so many alphas gathered in one place and she shivered, jumping when Bucky laid his hand on her shoulder.

“Breathe, Jamie,” he said quietly. “You’re safe.”

She nodded, licking her lips. “I know,” she whispered, voice tight while she stepped closer to him. They reached Steve’s office and she watched as he picked up her scent, a smile on his face as he turned. Jamie noted the bruises were already starting to yellow; his body working hard to recover.

“I’m almost ready. I just have a few invoices left to input,” he told them.

Bucky nodded and moved over to see if he could help, letting Jamie sit in the chair across from the desk. A short knock interrupted them as Thor stepped just inside, a wide grin on his face. “Hey, Steve; barbeque back on for this Saturday?”

Jamie watched the men she’d known since high school pause and share a glance, and she frowned at them. “What’s he talking about?” she asked softly.

The blond frowned in the doorway and hung his head. “Shit. Sorry, boss,” Thor muttered, quickly leaving.

Steve sighed and walked around his desk to lean on it. “Buck and I usually have get-togethers at the house for whoever on staff wants to come. Barbecue, games, open the hot tub; once a week during the winter because the weather is crap and it gets everyone out of the house if they want to socialize,” he explained. “During the summer, it’s every other weekend, because people have plans, and we open the pool too.”

“Except I’ve been there, and people haven’t been coming over,” Jamie whispered, dropping her head.

“Hey, don’t do that,” Bucky insisted, gently prying her hands down. “We didn’t want to make you uncomfortable, so we made the decision to put the nights on hold.”

She frowned heavily at him where the alpha knelt in front of her. “Because of me.”

“ _For_ you,” Steve corrected, drawing her attention. “Jamie, it’s your home too, now, and we want you to be comfortable.”

Letting out a long breath, she chewed her lip and glanced between the men. “Would Wanda be there?” she asked quietly.

The men shared a glance, then Bucky nodded slightly. “She usually is, it just depends on her schedule at the hospital. I could ask Sam and find out.”

Jamie let out a shuddering sigh and pushed to her feet and paced while she thought. “If she’s there, then yeah… I could be okay with people over,” she said softly. “I know everyone at the garage, and I’ve met some of the people here. Clint, I’m guessing would be there, but… It’s just you’d both be busy, and I just… I’d need Wanda there.”

Steve approached her slowly and ran a hand down her arm, smiling gently. “As long as you’re sure, sweetheart? We don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“And I appreciate that,” she replied. “But… Your lives still matter.”

“I’ll talk to Sam, and see if Wanda’s free this weekend,” Bucky said gently. “And we’ll go from there.”

*****

Wanda and Sam had arrived early Saturday, so that the nurse could help settle Jamie’s nerves before everyone else started to show up. Sam helped the men set up food and get ready, bringing the women drinks as the first knock came on the door.

Hours later, Jamie still sat in an oversized armchair, hunched down and curled into Wanda, her head buried against the other omega’s chest. The nurse played with Jamie’s hair, where it lay across her shoulders, and pointed out who everyone was; Wanda explaining where they worked, what they did, or who they were attending with.

“I’m sorry I’m keeping you stuck here,” Jamie muttered during a lull in their conversation.

“Shhh, _lepuras_ ,” Wanda soothed. “Jamie, I know everyone here, and I see them on a regular basis. I don’t mind sitting here with you.”

“Thank you,” she replied tiredly.

Wanda rubbed her cheek against the other woman’s head and said, “Rest. You’re allowed, and no one will mind. Everyone here has dozed off at some point on one of these couches or chairs.” The words made Jamie chuckle as she snuggled tighter.

Steve and Bucky had told Wanda how they worried over how little the woman in her arms was sleeping, and the nurse turned to place a gentle kiss on Jamie’s forehead. Wanda continued to stroke her arm and back soothingly, smiling across the room as she noticed the alphas smiling in gratitude.

Though he knew she wouldn’t sleep long with the party happening around her, Steve was still grateful when he noticed Jamie drift off. “How are you guys doing?” Clint asked, drawing the alpha back to the conversation.

Steve let out a sigh, smiling slightly at Sam and Clint, hearing Bucky snort next to him. “It’s…” his voice died off while he struggled to find the right words.

“You two spend a lot of time worrying,” Sam supplied gently.

Grinning, Bucky nodded. “Yeah,” he admitted. “Jamie doesn’t sleep much, so one of us usually keeps an ear out; we take turns. She has nightmares a lot, but she tries to keep quiet. She doesn’t like to be left alone during the day, which is why she comes to the shop. But we try to stay close, without seeming like we’re hovering…”

“You’re going to burn yourselves out,” Clint warned.

“We’re trying to avoid that, I promise,” Steve said earnestly. “We’re resting, taking turns, eating well; I’m taking it a bit harder right now since the accident, but we’re working on it. It’s just… It’s hard, right now, because we don’t’ know how to help her.”

“You are, guys, just by everything you’re doing,” the counsellor assured, watching the women cuddled together. “She feels safe here, I can tell you that. Even when you feel like you’re messing it up, you’re leaps and bounds ahead of where she was on the streets.”

Bucky let out a long sigh. "I'm guessing her time with you is going well then? I know you can't say much, but I know you pick her up from the shop."

Clint nodded, smiling. "She's doing okay. Jamie has panic attacks, even in the office; and I'm okay to tell you that. They're small, but… It's a process."

"Yeah, I remember that," Bucky agreed, growling softly and running his hands through his hair. "I'm just damned glad she agreed to see you, even if that's not how we expected it to happen."

The men watched as Jamie blinked awake slowly, nuzzling into Wanda’s neck, who murmured softly to the other woman. When Jamie nodded, Wanda motioned to Clint, who grinned at the men. “Looks like it’s my shift; I’ll see you in a bit.”

The beta crossed the room and crouched down. “How we doing?”

“I need to use the bathroom,” Wanda said softly. “And Jamie said she’d be okay if you were here.”

Clint nodded, shifting so the other woman could rise, then settled into the chair and opened his arm, allowing Jamie to curl into his chest. She settled, then froze as he wrapped an arm around her. “What is it, darlin?”

“Is this okay?” she whispered.

“You said yourself, I’m not exactly a normal counsellor,” Clint replied gently, chuckling. “And besides, you’re not in session right now. Even if you were, and need to be held? I’m not gonna tell you no, Jamie. I know omegas need physical contact sometimes, to center themselves. I’m not going to make you feel worse by making you sit by yourself and spiral.”

Jamie nodded and rested her hand on his chest, drawing in the man’s soothing comfort. The scent of alpha made her stiffen; though familiar, it wasn’t Steve or Bucky, and she burrowed her head further into Clint’s chest. A shudder ran through her body and her chest tightened, making her next breath a pained gasp.

“Easy, Jamie,” Clint murmured, resting his hand on her shoulder. “It’s Nat.”

Opening her eyes, the omega glanced up to see the Clint’s wife standing on the other side of the chair. Natasha’s expression was gentle, and she was waiting patiently to see how Jamie would respond to her presence. The reason Jamie knew the scent, was it permeated their house when she went there for sessions, but the women had never had the chance to meet. “Hi,” the omega greeted timidly.

Natasha smiled tenderly. “Hi, Jamie. Do you mind if I sit?”

Jamie frowned, surprised the woman had asked, but nodded. She watched the redhead sit on her hip on the floor and lean her arm on Clint’s leg, taking his free hand and entwining their fingers. “I’m sorry, do you need him?” Jamie asked suddenly, starting to sit up.

“No,” Natasha assured, gently touching the other woman’s leg as she shook her head. “I was just coming over to sit. But only if you’re all right with me here.”

Jamie could feel Clint’s eyes on her, and she let out a long breath, drawing her knees up tighter. “Yeah, it’s okay.”

Wanda returned, grabbing herself a drink, and stopping to hug Sam. He pressed a kiss to her lips, and asked, “How you doin, girl?”

“I’m all right,” she assured. “Jamie’s doing better than I expected, honestly. She’s absorbing information like a sponge of who people are.”

“It’s good that she’s let Nat sit with them,” Steve said quietly.

Wanda let out a long sigh, running a hand through her hair. “It’s encouraging,” she agreed. “So far, you two have been the only alphas she’s been around since coming off the streets, right?”

Bucky shook his head slightly. “Carol, at the garage,” he reminded them. “But Carol keeps her distance; she doesn’t want to upset Jamie.”

Steve grinned and nodded slightly. “Always liked her,” he muttered.

Sam chuckled. “Yeah, she’s good like that. But she’s also damned laid-back, until you piss her off. Then watch the hell out.”

“Hot tub is getting opened! Who’s in?” Thor bellowed from the back door.

A chorus of cheers echoed him, and Clint pressed his lips to Jamie’s head, shushing her when she cringed. Natasha’s hand stroked the omega’s legs, and the pair soothed her until the younger woman calmed. She swallowed and nodded at them, smiling slightly. “I’m okay,” she whispered.

“Yeah, you are,” Clint assured her.

*****


	8. Chapter 8

Though the insurance company had given Steve a rental while his car was fixed, they left it in the driveway unless he needed it for errands. It was just as easy for Bucky to drop him off and pick him up at work, and the sub-compact wasn’t as comfortable for the tall alpha to routinely drive.

The Friday after the party, Bucky and Jamie were picking up Steve at the end of the day, as usual, the men discussing what to pick up for dinner as they walked the gym’s hallway on the way out. Steve mentioned, “I’m going to come in tomorrow for a few hours in the afternoon. End of the month; Nat and I just need to go over payroll, and we haven’t had the chance this week.”

“I’m off for the weekend, so you can have the truck,” Bucky agreed easily with a nod.

Jamie was a few feet ahead, absently listening to them and staring at the pictures on the wall; various members, some appeared to be from competitions. She glanced back to see that T'Challa had stopped the men to ask a question, and Bucky nodded in response. “It’s in the truck, just give me a minute,” he said, smiling at Jamie as he passed, saying, “Just have to grab something. Be back in a second.”

She nodded and smiled, going back to studying the pictures; Steve was only a few feet away. Jamie noticed the scent of another alpha approaching, unfamiliar, and it made her stiffen how quickly it neared her.

The man walked into her personal space, pressed himself against the side of Jamie’s body while pushing her hair from the side of her face. Leaning down into her neck to draw in her scent, which had quickly turned to fear, he bunched her hair at the back of her head and turned to Steve. “So, _this_ is the omega you’ve been keeping at home, Rogers? Pretty little thing, isn’t she?”

Steve had already started to turn, noticing Jamie’s scent change, but he saw how the alpha was holding her and the look of terror on her face. Her body was frozen, but when she tried to draw away and couldn’t, Jamie whimpered. Steve growled, “Brock, _let her go_.”

“Aww, c’mon,” the man cajoled darkly, his fingers tightening in her hair. Brock jerked her head, so she was facing him and he ran his free hand along her jaw. “Give her to me for a few hours, won’t you?”

The alpha held her head so tightly, Jamie couldn’t see Steve’s face; she was surrounded by the scent of the stranger's lust, a dark feeling with no emotion. Jamie knew she was an object to him, and the thought made her stomach churn. She knew Steve was talking, could hear the growling timbre of his voice, but her world had narrowed to the alpha in front of her as the hand on her jaw ran down to wrap around her waist, and he jerked her against him; Jamie could feel him hard against her stomach. She tried to swallow, but bile burned up her throat as shudders wracked her body.

Jamie threw up all over his chest, which made Brock immediately release her, tossing her away from him and to the floor to land in a heap. Natasha had been slowly creeping up behind the alpha, and the instant he released Jamie, wrenched him into an eye-popping choke-hold. The female snarled in his ear, “One strike; you’re out, asshole.”

Kneeling on the floor, Jamie shivered, her breathing ragged as Steve rushed to her side. His hands hovered, reluctant to touch her after what had just happened. “Jamie?” he asked softly.

“Can I… I need to rinse my mouth,” she whispered, reaching out a hand for help up.

He helped her to her feet and Steve nodded. Jamie leaned into his side as he walked her to the staff bathroom at the back. Inside, she leaned against the counter and swished her mouth with water before leaning heavily on the sink, hanging her head. “I just… I can’t take anyone pulling my hair, or grabbing the back of my head,” she muttered, her voice hoarse.

“You don’t have to explain, Jamie,” Steve said gently. “Bucky and I will never ask.”

She swallowed hard and nodded, feeling tears burning her eyes. “I know. And I don’t deserve that.”

The darkness in her words made Steve frown, and he reached out to gently rub his hand on her lower back, uncertain if she would even accept the touch. Jamie stiffened slightly, but her eyes met his in the mirror, red-rimmed and flinching, while Steve offered her a small smile. “Sweetheart, whatever happened, you were surviving a nightmare,” he assured her. “And we are never going to hold that against you.”

She dropped her eyes, startling as a knock sounded on the door. Bucky stuck his head in, his normally bright eyes darkened with concern. “It’s just me,” he said, scenting Jamie’s distress. When she merely nodded, Bucky entered the room fully, and the men shared a glance. “He’s gone. They cleaned out his locker, and I watched him drive away,” Bucky explained gently. He had watched the female alpha wrestling Brock towards the door, and held it open for them. But after noticing Jamie’s scent on the man, Bucky had made certain he left, then spoken to Natasha about what happened, knowing Steve was with the omega, giving himself time to calm down.

Jamie nodded, swallowing hard. “Can we go home?” she whispered.

“Of course,” Steve agreed with a nod. She stepped away from his hand, and he let her go.

The ride home was silent, and she disappeared into her room as soon as they reached the house. The men watched her go and sighed heavily. Bucky reached into the fridge for a beer and offered one to Steve, but he shook his head. “Need something stronger,” he muttered, reaching into the cupboard over the fridge and poured a glass of dark amber liquor.

Frowning, Barnes shook his head. “Everything okay?”

Steve looked at Jamie’s closed door and let out a heavy sigh. “I need to tell you something,” he admitted. “I remembered something after the accident. I honestly don't know how the hell I ever forgot this, but... _Fuck_.”

Bucky listened to the guilt in his best friend’s voice and he sat the kitchen’s island shaking his head. “Steve, what’s wrong?”

Taking a long swallow of the whiskey he had poured, then ran a hand through his hair. “Just before our last deployment together, the night before… I got a call from Jason,” Steve admitted softly. He watched Bucky’s eyebrows rise in surprise, and he shook his head. “It was late in the afternoon before we left, and he wanted to meet for dinner that night. But we were leaving… Fuck, what was it? 2am? Some dumbass time, and I knew we still had to pack our gear… And I told him we’d call when we got back. But…”

“Shit, we were gone eight months, and then…” Bucky’s voice died off, his eyes haunted.

Steve knew his mind was on his time as a hostage, and he nodded, letting out a long sigh. “Then there were other things I was worried about,” he said quietly. “And I forgot. But now, I’m wondering… Why would he call out of the blue, unless it was to ask one of us to look after Jamie?”

Bucky stared at Steve, horror slowly dawning on his face. He pushed to his feet to pace, his eyes drawn to the hallway as he thought over the idea, then shook his head. “You can’t beat yourself up over this, Steve,” he finally said softly.

“Can’t I?” he growled, finishing his drink.

Walking over, Bucky squeezed the other man’s shoulder, shaking him slightly. “Hey, don’t do that to yourself,” he warned. “We could ‘ _what if_ ' scenario it to death. What if the assignment hadn’t lasted as long as it had? What if he had called a day earlier? What if I hadn’t been captured? We both know you probably would have called him back when you got home. But none of that would change anything. Life got in the way. I doubt Jason held it against you, he wasn’t like that. Hell, my capture – and rescue – made the news. Jason would have known what happened.”

Slumping, Steve nodded. “It’s just… Watching her today, with what happened with Brock, I just… If she’d been here after Jason died, she would have been safe, you know?”

Bucky nodded. “I know. But she’s safe _now_ , punk. And that’s the best we can do for her.”

Steve let out a long sigh. “Yeah. Yeah, I know you're right. I’m gonna go for a shower before dinner.”

“I’ll call for delivery,” Bucky agreed. He looked towards Jamie’s room and sighed. “Jamie seemed okay when we talked about Thai, but… I’ll make sure it’s all mild dishes. I don’t want to upset her stomach.”

“Yeah. She’s been better, but we shouldn't push it,” Steve agreed. “I’ll be quick.”

“Take your time, punk, relax,” Barnes said, waving his hand as he looked over the menu. “I’ll keep an ear out for her.”

*****

Saturday morning was rough. Steve had woken to find Jamie on the couch, looking haggard and exhausted. Though the men had suspected the incident at the gym would upset her, Steve had still hoped she would sleep for a few hours; it looked like her insomnia had kept her awake all night. Jamie was huddled in on herself, her oversized sweater pulled down over her legs, which she hugged to her chest. Her eyes flicked up when she saw them, then focussed back on the television. Bucky walked Steve outside with a frown as he left for work, running his hands through his hair.

“Maybe I should stay home…”

Bucky smiled, shaking his head. “Steve, it’s okay,” he assured. “You and Nat have shit to do. I’m here. I’ve noticed that, after a hard night, she tends to sleep once the sun is up. Once she’s eaten and played on the tablet for a while, she’ll probably settle. Call later if you want to check-in, okay?”

Nodding, Steve let out a long sigh. “Yeah, all right. Message me if you need anything.”

Barnes nodded, watching the other alpha leave before he headed back inside. Jamie had moved to the kitchen to pour herself a coffee and make some toast. He watched her tense as he neared, and he paused, frowning. “You know I’ll never hurt you, Jamie?” he asked quietly.

“I do, I just...” Shuddering, Jamie stared out the back window. “I’m sorry.”

“After yesterday, I understand,” he assured her. “Can I do anything?”

Shaking her head, Jamie hugged herself and took a long drink of her coffee. “I’ll be in my room,” she replied.

Bucky let her go, letting out a long, heavy sigh once she was out of sight. Grabbing a book, he settled onto the couch and turned off the television to read.

*****


	9. Chapter 9

Jamie hadn’t emerged from her room in hours. Bucky had heard her shower running not long after she had disappeared, but it had been nothing but silence since then. He had hoped she was sleeping, but as he walked past her room after putting away a load of laundry, he heard a soft whimper from behind her door. Pausing, he waited, and another sound had him opening the door. He ventured inside to see her in the middle of a nightmare. “Jamie?” Bucky asked softly, sitting on the edge of the bed.

She woke with a scream and shoved past him, scrambling into the corner of her room; her knees drawn up to her chest. He knelt close to her and reached out to touch her arm, but Jamie screamed, “No! _Nonononono_ …”

The terrified mantra made his heart break. Bucky moved to a few feet away and sat cross-legged, waiting while she wailed. He thought back to when he was a teenager, and he witnessed his cousin’s child having a meltdown-tantrum. Bucky had been annoyed by the child’s screeching, but his cousin had sat patiently, leaning on the wall next to the toddler, and waited until the child approached him and needed comfort. The older man had explained that sometimes, the child simply needed a safe place to vent, and he needed to let it happen; trying to stop her would only make it worse the next time the toddler needed to let go. As much as the alpha in him wanted to pull Jamie into his arms and rock her, to let her know she was safe, he knew right now it would do more harm than good. Letting out a soft sigh, Bucky grimaced as he listened to her cry, and thought it was likely the first time she had been able to mourn everything that she had been through. If she needed to process that, and finally felt safe enough to, he would be patient. Taking from his cousin’s example, he would wait, no matter how much it made him ache. Even knowing that the incident yesterday with Brock had triggered this; Bucky still wanted to kill the man for even daring to touch the woman.

Jamie suddenly pulled her sweater over her head, and he noticed she was flushed; likely overheated from crying. She buried her face into her knees and curled her arms over her head; her cries now muffled against her legs. Bucky smelled blood and stiffened to intervene but realized she had dug her nails into her arms; the pain likely used to anchor herself. Her breathing heaved, her voice growing hoarse; he glanced at the clock to see over forty minutes had passed.

The scent of alpha permeated the haze in her mind and panic tore through her. Jamie wanted to curl tighter, but her chest was already so constricted she couldn’t breathe. She was forced to push out her legs and lean back against the wall to gasp for air. Realizing she had not been hurt, despite the alpha still being there, she finally looked over.

Bucky had pulled his sleeves up his forearms, but still wore sweatpants, and waited patiently. Her face was confused and fearful as she stared at him. She still cried softly, her breath coming in harsh, hiccupping gasps, as Jamie crawled the few feet that separated them to sit across his lap. Holding her gently, Bucky stroked her back with one hand as she shivered and wrapped her hands into his shirt, her face buried against his chest. He rocked slightly, feeling her shiver as she quieted slowly, wrapping his body solidly around her to share his warmth.

“How about I take us to the living room and put on the television?” he murmured softly into the silence. When she nodded, he wrapped his arms around her and stood, walking into the main room and settled on the couch. Taking the blanket from the back of the couch, he wrapped it around her.

“I’m s-s-sorry,” she whispered, her voice raw, burying her face further into his chest.

Rubbing his chin on her forehead, Bucky fought the urge to tighten his grip, not wanting to frighten her. “No, none of that,” he assured. “You’ve done nothing to apologize for, Jamie.” Her breath still hiccupped through her body, and he felt her yawn against him, knew she had to be emotionally and physically exhausted from crying. “Get some rest, princess.”

The old nickname she hadn’t heard in years brought a ghost of a smile to her lips as she buried her forehead against his neck. Jamie felt him tilt his head slightly, letting her burrow in against him, drawing in his scent. Her body was slowly warming up, but she could hardly breathe she was so congested.

Bucky handed her the box of tissues, and Jamie knew he could hear her snuffling. She blew her nose, then let him draw her back against him and pulled the blanket tighter. Jamie felt the comfort he radiated and started to relax, but her breath stuttered, and she felt her throat tighten.

“Shhh,” he soothed, rubbing a hand over her back when he felt her tense; he knew she was growing upset again. “I’m right here.” Bucky could feel her breath shiver against his neck, and he held her carefully. Exhaustion finally won, and she fell deeply asleep, though her breath still hiccupped.

*****

Steve walked in and started to call his greeting until he saw Bucky’s arm raised from the couch; his hand in a signal they used in the military to indicate silence. Frowning, Rogers set down his things and made his way to see what was happening. The sight as he rounded the end of the couch made his heart break slightly. Jamie’s face was still reddened and puffy from crying, even if it was currently peaceful where it lay against Bucky’s chest. “What happened, Buck?” Steve asked softly, moving to sit next to him on the couch, so their voices could remain hushed.

“The breakdown we’ve been waiting for,” he replied, voice barely a whisper. Barnes didn’t want to risk waking her since she laid against his chest, but even the soft rumble of his voice made her curl further into him, her hands tightening briefly in his shirt.

“I’m guessing bad,” Steve said, sighing and running a hand over his beard.

Leaning his cheek against her head, Bucking nodded slightly. “Well over an hour before we finally came out here and settled,” he admitted. “She passed out almost right after; so, she’s slept for four solid hours, thankfully. I’ve messaged Clint, so he knows.”

Steve let out a long breath and glanced at the time. “I’ll toss something into the oven and change,” he said. “Need a drink?”

“Yeah, just grab me a soda. And a water for her; when she wakes up, her throat is gonna be raw.”

Steve frowned at the announcement but nodded and disappeared into the kitchen. He brought back the drinks and made food before changing and rejoining the pair. “Deli pizzas are in; I figured something easy would be the best option,” he explained.

Jamie whimpered quietly in Bucky’s arms, shuddering. He shushed her, pressing his lips against her head and said, “You’re safe, princess. Wake up for me.”

Blinking groggily, she looked around the room in confusion as she lifted her head, realizing where she was. Her breath hitched slightly, a leftover from the afternoon of crying, and brought one hand up to scrub at her face. “I was sleeping?” Coughing at the hoarseness of her throat, Jamie realized she still wasn’t wearing a shirt and hugged the blanket tighter around herself.

Steve grabbed the bottle of water and handed it to her, a small smile on his face. “I think I woke you up; I just got home,” he explained, watching as she drank gratefully. “Sorry about that.”

Shaking her head, Jamie frowned. “It’s okay,” she muttered, her face flushed. She couldn’t meet either of the men’s eyes, embarrassment washing over her, as she whispered, “I’m sorry.”

“Shhh,” Bucky assured her, rubbing her back. “Jamie, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

The oven buzzed before anything more could be said, and Steve smiled. “Dinner’s ready,” he said softly. “I’ll be right back.”

“I’m going to go pull on a sweater.” Jamie pushed to her feet, Bucky keeping her hand to keep her steady until she pulled away.

The men shared a look as she hugged the blanket tighter and shuffled back to her room, then both headed to the kitchen. Steve took out the pizza and sliced it, placing it on a serving tray before he brought it to the living room, Bucky carrying plates and napkins. They returned the same time Jamie re-emerged, her hair brushed, and a large sweater wrapped around herself.

Steve and Bucky were surprised when she settled between them on the couch, her feet tucked up under herself after she grabbed a few slices. Barnes glanced over the omega’s head with wide eyes, before he asked, “Movie, Jamie?”

“Sure,” she agreed. Knowing they would ask her what she wanted to see, she said, “Something funny?”

“I think we can find that,” Steve agreed easily.

A few hours later, Bucky stretched. The dishes had been cleaned up, and he stood. “I have to go in tomorrow for some admin work and make sure things are set up for later this week. So, I'm going to head to bed." Bending, he kissed Jamie’s forehead and said, “I’ll see you tomorrow, princess. Night, Steve.”

Smiling slightly, Jamie watched him go, then glanced at Steve. “You can go, if you’re tired,” she told him.

“Nah, I have tomorrow off,” he replied easily. He was surprised when she leaned into his side but wrapped an arm around her and paused. “Hang on,” he said, pushing himself into the corner of the sectional so he could stretch his legs out in front of him. Then he opened his arm again, saying, “That’s better. C’mere, sweetheart.”

Jamie grinned slightly as she shifted to curl back into his side. She drew in his scent, realized she still smelled like the other alpha and started to draw away. “I shouldn’t… I should…”

Frowning, Steve looked down at her. “What’s wrong, Jamie?”

“I smell like Bucky,” she murmured.

His eyes softened, and Steve kept his arm around her, reached over with his other hand to stroke the back of his knuckles across her chin. “It’s okay,” he assured her. “We share a house, sweetheart, he’s my best friend.”

Jamie studied his face, the open, honest expression he wore, and let Steve draw him back against his side. One of her hands came up to rest on his chest, and even though she had slept most of the afternoon, the warmth of his body combined with his scent that she had quickly associated to safety and she quickly dozed off.

Reluctant to wake her, Steve turned the television down and covered them in a blanket around midnight. He had slept on the couch often enough, but just as he was about to start to nod off, Jamie shuddered, a frightened sound catching in her throat. Pulling himself to sit up higher, Steve reached over and dragged Jamie to sit across his lap, saying, “Sweetheart?”

A cry fell from her lips as she sat up in his arms, looking around wildly. Jamie’s eyes met his, then she looked around the room, and her eyes teared. “It happened again,” she whispered sadly.

Drawing her back against his body, he shushed her, thankful when Jamie buried her face against his neck. They sat quietly for a while, before she cleared her throat and straightened. “What is it, Jamie?”

“I want a shower,” she said softly, clearing her throat. After the stress of the afternoon, even Jamie could smell the sourness on her skin from the fear and anxiety, wanting desperately to clean off. “Bucky’s been in bed long enough, I should be able to without waking him.”

Steve rubbed a hand over her back and nodded. “If you need me for anything, I’ll be in my room. Don’t hesitate, okay?”

She glanced up at his face, searching for the lie, but found his face was open as it always was. Jamie swallowed and nodded. “Okay,” she whispered. She pushed herself to her feet and headed silently to her room.

It was nearly 2am when Jamie finished blow-drying her hair in her room, hoping the space would keep from waking Bucky. She tried laying in bed, but after staring blindly at the wall with blankets piled on top of her, Jamie found she couldn’t get warm.

Remembering how easy it had been to drift off to sleep on the couch, with either of the alphas, Jamie knew she couldn’t disturb Barnes because he needed to work. But she remembered Steve’s words, and standing, she wrapped a blanket around herself before making her way to his room. He was curled on his left side, a t-shirt visible above the blankets, where he slept peacefully. Jamie walked to the edge of the bed, and watched his body stiffen as he woke.

Steve took a deep breath, and his mind immediately registered that the omega was nearby, and nervous. Opening his eyes, he found Jamie standing with her legs barely touching the side of his bed. She was wrapped in a blanket, her eyes lowered, and her face hesitant. Drawing back the covers, Steve opened his arms and waited, watching as she darted a glance at his face.

She dropped the blanket and crawled onto the bed, turning until her back was flush against his chest. Steve pulled the covers back up over them, smiling slightly when she hugged his arm around her tightly. She ducked down until her head fit under his chin, making him chuckle. The sound made her shiver, and Jamie hummed softly. “Everything okay, Jamie?”

“I was cold,” she murmured. “And I just… I couldn’t settle. And it was easy to fall asleep on the couch with you, so…”

Steve pressed a kiss to the back of her head, the smell of her mint conditioner filling his senses. “I told you, I was here for anything you needed, sweetheart,” he murmured.

“I just… Am I taking advantage of you and Bucky?” she asked quietly.

He gently urged her to turn over to face him, smiling when she ducked her face down, unable to meet his eyes. Steve wound one arm under her head to pull her closer, stroking her back, the other coming up to stroke his fingers along her jaw as he drew her gaze up. “Jamie, you’re not, I promise,” he said softly. When she tried to protest again, he chuckled and placed a single finger over her lips and kissed her forehead. “Shhh. Just sleep. I promise it’s all fine.”

Jamie leaned her forehead into the touch, the hair of his beard tickling her skin slightly. She shivered, then shifted until her back was pressed against him again. His arm was still under her head, and she pillowed her cheek on his bicep, pulling his other arm around her waist. “Thank you,” she whispered.

*****


	10. Chapter 10

Jamie woke slowly, noticing light around the curtains, surrounded by warmth, and realized she had slept without nightmares through the night. At some point, she had turned over and cuddled into face Steve’s chest, his arms wrapped around her. She drew in a long breath, pulling in his calming scent in deep as she stretched, and froze. Jamie’s eyes opened while she stiffened against him and tried not to wake him as the breath left her mouth shakily. His body was hard and pressed firmly against her stomach; she fought the shudder that wanted to run through her body.

“I’m sorry, Jamie,” Steve said quietly into the dim light of the room.

She startled, not realizing he was awake and shook her head against his chest. “It’s… It’s alright. It’s morning, right?”

He drew back slightly and ran his fingers over her cheek, tilting her face up until she was meeting his eyes. “I won’t hurt you, Jamie,” he promised her, a small smile on his face though his voice was firm. “You know that, right?”

Licking her lips, Jamie nodded. “I know,” she replied. “Neither of you will, I know. I promise.” His thumb stroked over her cheek while he nodded in agreement, and she felt her face blush in response. Clearing her throat, she untangled herself from his arms, sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed, stretching. “I’m going to go put on the coffee.”

“I don’t think Bucky’s left yet, so there’s probably still some left,” Steve replied while he studied her back. “I’ll meet you out there.”

Jamie headed out and found Bucky putting his mug in the dishwasher, but he smiled when he saw her. “Hey,” she greeted softly.

“Morning, princess,” he replied, grinning when she flushed, ducking her head. “How did you sleep?”

Nodding, Jamie hummed softly when he hugged her, brushing the hair from her face to press a kiss to her forehead. “Good,” she said quietly. “I was going to pour a coffee, then go soak in a bath.”

“Then I won’t keep you,” he promised. Bucky watched her pour herself a cup, then disappear into her room just before Steve emerged. The darker-haired alpha shared a curious look with the other man, asking, “What happened?”

Steve sighed and smiled humourlessly. “She curled up with me to sleep, and I woke up before she did,” he replied, rubbing a hand over his face, groaning. “Her scent is so different when she’s asleep; no fear, so soft, and closer to what she was when she was younger. Fuck, it was amazing to have her in my arms…”

When his voice died off, Bucky chuckled and nodded. “And your mind wandered.”

“Yeah,” Steve agreed, sinking into one of the chairs at the island. “She woke up, and I think I scared her. She said she knew we wouldn’t hurt her, but… Dammit, I hope I didn’t screw up how far we’ve come…”

“Try not to think too hard about it, Steve,” Bucky assured, laying a hand on his shoulder. “Take a few deep breaths, and just let today happen. Yesterday was hard enough; don't let your mind create problems. I shouldn’t be too late today, just wanted to make sure delivery is set, and get the order in for Tuesday.”

Steve nodded and watched him leave, getting up to start a fresh pot of coffee and starting it, staring out and watching the sun trying to peek through the dull grey clouds. He had settled down with his coffee and a book, by the time Jamie emerged from her room. Steve watched her pour herself a bowl of cereal and curl up on the couch to eat, typing away on the phone the men had bought for her, chewing her lip; a habit he had noticed when something was bothering her. “Everything all right, sweetheart?”

Looking up suddenly, she nodded. “Clint messaged me when I was in the bath to see how I was after… Bucky, I guess, told him about yesterday,” she finished softly. “He’s going to pick me up after I’m done eating. If that’s okay?”

His smile was gentle while he studied her. “Of course, it is, Jamie,” Steve assured her. “You’re free to come and go; this is your home too. You know that, right?”

“I’m trying. I promise I am,” Jamie whispered.

“And that’s all we ask,” he said gently.

She finished eating and put her dishes away just in time for a knock at the door. Steve answered it to find Clint there, grinning in greeting. The alpha shook the man’s hand while Jamie grabbed a jacket, and the pair left.

Rather than heading back to his house, Clint drove them to a park and lead the way out onto the walking trails, watching from the corner of his eye as Jamie’s shoulders slowly relaxed down from her neck the longer they walked. Her arms were still crossed, her head bowed, but her breathing had evened out from the rapid panting she had when he had first picked her up.

After twenty minutes of silence, Jamie stopped and stared into the trees, drawing in a long, deep breath. Her head dropped back, and she closed her eyes. Clint grinned and asked, “So, how are you?”

Snorting, she shook her head. “You were waiting for that, weren’t you?” she whispered.

“I knew taking you back to the house, wound up like you were, you’d blow up,” he agreed. “You needed to let it out. And it was either physical exercise or screaming. And since Barnes told me you did that yesterday…” He watched her flush, and took a hand out of his pocket to wrap around her shoulders to keep them walking. “Darlin, what happened yesterday is totally normal for where you are at this stage.”  
  
“But this morning isn’t,” she growled, reaching up to run her hands through her hair.

Clint let her walk out of his embrace, pacing ahead of him until she turned back to face him. “What happened this morning?” he asked softly.

She explained briefly about seeking out Steve for comfort, to sleep overnight, unable to meet the beta’s eyes as she spoke. When Jamie reached the point where she woke with Steve’s erection pressed against her, her face was flushed, and her voice died off as she stared off to the side.

“Did that scare you?”

“I _wish_ it had,” Jamie said hoarsely.

Clint watched her turn and head for a bench, sitting and drawing her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her shins. “When you messaged, you said you needed to get out of the house,” he prompted gently, moving to sit next to her. “And you could barely look at Steve when we left.”

“All through high school, Bucky and Steve were at the house… They practically lived there,” she explained quietly, staring blankly into the distance. “And I presented early; I was twelve when I started feeling the prickling of my first heat. My parents had been gone for years, Jason and I lived with our aunt; she took me to the doctor, and I went on suppressants. I was fine with that, but even then…” Shaking her head, Jamie sighed. “I always tried to be around them. I just couldn’t help it. Jason noticed; but I don’t think the guys ever did. Typical teenagers, they were just… I was young, and they were clueless. And I'm pretty sure Jason was okay with it; that if anything were to happen and they were to notice me, he would have been all right with it. But, they graduated, and joined the military…” She ran her hands through her hair and sighed heavily.

“And today?”

“This morning brought it all back,” she admitted. “Yesterday, too, once I woke up in Bucky’s arms. I suddenly remembered all that time I spent crushing on them, hoping one of them would notice me… But _now_? There’s no way they’ll want me now. Not after what I’ve done…”

Clint smiled gently at her, letting out a long breath. “Jamie…”

“And being around them,” she interrupted. “It’s the first time I’ve… _wanted_ anyone in years. I just… I gave up even thinking of it when I lived on the streets. And now…”

“Hey,” he said, turning to face her on the bench. He leaned across and gently chucked her chin, earning a grin from her. “You’ve noticed by now; those boys are protective. But they look at you in a way that goes beyond that, Jamie. Believe me; they won’t judge you on your past.”

“You can’t know that!” she growled angrily, her shoulders tensing.

“I _do_ know that,” he replied evenly.

Jamie studied him, her eyes searching until they widened as realization dawned. “How… _How_ can they know?” she whispered in horror before she started to draw away.

He held her shoulder to keep her from standing, saying firmly, “Breathe, darlin,” when he watched panic start to set in. “Take a few deep breaths for me.” Clint began a deep breath, watching as she mimicked him, and he nodded with a small smile after a few minutes, once she settled a little bit. “That’s good.”

“How?” she asked again, her voice soft and afraid.

“You remember the night of the party, meeting Tony?”

Jamie searched her memory, trying to think back. “He’s a beta,” she said softly, shaking her head. “But he’s…”

“A big personality, and a lot to take,” Clint finished with a chuckle. “He tried not to get too close because he didn’t want to overwhelm you; he knows exactly what he’s like.” Jamie flushed, and Clint pulled her in closer, hugging his arm around her shoulders. “He works in tech, and we’ve all known him for a while. Steve and Bucky were worried and wondered what had happened to your brother and how you ended up alone. And the night Bucky found you, they called Tony to see if he could find out.”

Jamie covered her face with her hands, slumping against the man next to her. “Oh, geezuz,” she whispered.

“Tony managed to find out about Jason easily, and it took a little bit longer, before he found out about the legal issues,” he continued gently. When she whimpered, he rubbed her arm and rested his chin against her head. “Jamie, it doesn’t bother them. They’ve known almost the entire time you’ve been staying there; have they treated you any differently?”

“No.” Her breath shivered as she released it and Jamie glanced at him nervously. “They’ve never said anything.”

Clint’s smile gentled and he shook his head. “Because they don’t want you to be uncomfortable around them,” he explained.

She looked around at the trees, shaking her head, her mind spinning. Jamie’s knee started to bounce, and she pushed to her feet to continue walking. She heard Clint following behind, a silent shadow, as her emotions churned. While she had lived on the street, the only thing she had ever felt was fear, and Jamie had accepted that; it had become her life. But now that she lived with the men, her world changed, and she was having to relearn how to cope with everything else. Though she loved the safety of staying with the alphas, having to deal with the myriad of emotions it brought up… Fear was simple, it was easy to deal with. Jamie never thought she would miss it.

Anger started to bubble up through her stomach, and she knew it was irrational; Steve and Bucky hadn’t actually done anything wrong and her logical mind knew that. Yes, they had investigated her past, but she hadn’t seen them in years, and they had opened their home to a virtual stranger. It was reasonable to find out what was going on with her. And, given everything, she could not blame them for not telling her; she was hiding from them enough before yesterday. Even knowing all of that, she couldn’t stop the storm that simmered under the surface.

Jamie looked up suddenly, wondering where she had led them; she had continued to walk the entire time her mind had raged. Gazing around, she realized she recognized the surroundings. “Is that the back of the house?” she whispered; voice tight.

Clint nodded, watching her face closely. He wasn’t certain where her thoughts had wandered, but he could see the emotions behind them. “Yeah, we’ve walked quite a while.”

“I think I’m just going to walk home if that’s okay?”

“Of course,” he agreed. Clint stayed where he was, watching carefully as she made her way back to the house safely, but pulled out his phone. “Steve?”

“Is something wrong?” the alpha asked immediately, listening to the beta sigh on the other end of the phone. “What’s happened?”

“We were walking, and she’s on her way back, just from the paths behind the house,” Clint explained. “Physically, she’s fine. But Jamie knows you know about her time on the streets. She needs some space from me, will probably call me tomorrow. But… She’s angry, probably at herself more than anything. Maybe at you guys. Possibly at life in general.”

Steve frowned, shaking his head. “Because we didn’t mention it? Or this morning, with me?”

Sighing heavily, the beta ran a hand through his hair. “Okay, I’ll break confidentiality, but only because she’s signed releases that I can with you two. Deal?”

“I don’t understand…”

“Jamie has told me I can tell you two things, if I feel you need to know,” Clint admitted. “Up until now, it hasn’t been necessary. But, I think, before you and Barnes joined up, her and her brother thought one of you would possibly pick her,” he admitted. “She was crushing on you both, hard. Yesterday, curled up with Buck, and this morning with you, she’s starting to find emotions she buried a long time ago. And she isn’t coping well. And pushing isn’t going to make it easier for her.”

“Dammit,” Steve growled. Glancing out the back window, he sighed. “I can see her, she’s almost here.”

Nodding, Clint tucked his free hand in his pocket. “If you need me tonight, call,” he advised. “It’s started to rain, and she will probably isolate, so don’t be surprised if she heads straight for the shower.”

“Got it. Thanks, man,” Steve agreed, hanging up and typing a quick message just before he heard the back-patio door open. Looking up, he offered a smile. “Hey, Jamie,” Steve greeted, noting her expression was closed down. Clint had been right, the rain had started, and her hair was sticking to her face. “Damn, let me grab you a towel.”

She waited until he came back, taking it from his hand, but couldn’t meet his eyes. Running the towel over her head, she kicked off her shoes and muttered, “I’m going to go warm up… Change into something dry.”

"Of course," he agreed. "Yell if you need anything." Steve watched her walk past him without another word, headed for her room, her scent soured by anxiety. Leaning against the kitchen cupboards he let out a long sigh.


	11. Chapter 11

Jamie walked into the bathroom, stripping off her clothes, her breathing heaving. The walk back to the house had left her raging at…everything. At her brother, for dying; and she knew that was ridiculous. It was a true car accident – no one else had been involved, the weather the main catalyst, and Jason had not even been speeding. She was angry at Steve and Bucky for enlisting and leaving after high school. _But they didn't know of my feelings and they were not responsible for me_. And most of all, she was angry at her own body; for being born an omega in the first place and leaving her in the position of being vulnerable.

Turning on the water in the shower until it was nearly scalding, Jamie braced her hands on the walls and hunched so that the water cascaded over her shoulders while she tried to keep her breathing under control. The shower poured over her back, down her neck, and she let it soak into her hair, dripping down into her eyes. After several minutes, she glanced up, having forgotten there was a mirror attached to the back wall; the face reflected back at her was nothing she wanted to see. Screaming she slammed the sides of both fists into it, over and over, destroying the glass. Jamie ignored the pain, and fought the arms that suddenly wrapped around her, trapping her own arms against her chest.

Steve heard her first scream, and heard the initial crash, rushing into the bathroom and pulled open the shower door. There he saw the blood running down Jamie’s arms from the small shards of the mirror that had cut her hands and wrapped his arms around her from behind. She continued to yell and struggled, then went limp against him. He sank with her, keeping her against him to keep her safe from the glass on the floor, and sat fully clothed in the running water. Steve shifted her, so Jamie’s back sat under the spray, and kept his arms around her, her arms still encased against her chest, while he murmured soft, meaningless words against her head.

Jamie let him hold her a few heartbeats, then shook her head and struggled in his arms. “ _No_ ,” she growled. “Let me go! I hate you.”

Steve’s smile was gentle when he shook his head. “No, you don’t,” he countered softly. His arms tightened so she couldn't wiggle loose, and he wrapped a leg around one of hers when she kicked out, cocooning Jamie in his hold; he was afraid she would injure herself on the broken glass on the floor of the shower.

“ _Just let me go_!” she pleaded.

Hearing the desperation in her voice, Steve kept one arm around her and reached up with the other to cup her face. She flinched but allowed him to angle her up to meet his eyes. “Sweetheart, Bucky and I aren’t going anywhere,” he assured her patiently. “I’m sorry we weren’t there when Jason died, but we’re here _now_. And we’re not leaving you.”

The door to the bathroom opened hesitantly and the other alpha appeared, his face cautious; he had been drawn by the smell of blood. Steve had messaged him after the phone call with Clint, just before Jamie had walked into the house, and as he had nearly finished at work, he had left to come home. Bucky took in the blood dripping down from the omega’s hands and let out a silent sigh. Grabbing a large towel, he reached up to turn off the shower’s water and knelt in the doorway, watching as Jamie suddenly realized he was there. “Hey, princess. Let’s get you out of there and cleaned up, okay?” he said quietly.

With the water off, she started to shiver, but she refused to meet his eyes while she nodded. Bucky wrapped her in the towel and lifted her from Steve’s lap carefully, allowing the other man to stand and peel out of his wet clothing. Barnes moved to the living room while Steve wrapped a towel around his waist before he grabbed the medical kit and followed behind.

Bucky sat them on the sofa, watching as Steve put the small garbage bin near their feet, while he sat on the coffee table. “Jamie?” Steve asked softly, then waited. His eyes flicked to the other alpha, but neither of them moved, waiting patiently for the omega to respond. When her eyes finally glanced up several minutes later, her jaw was clenched though it didn’t hide the tremble in her lips. “Can I see one of your hands?” She blinked and looked down, then up at him in surprise. “Sweetheart, we want to help, but I don’t want to scare you or hurt you. If you’d rather I call Bruce to look at your hands, I can do that.”

Shaking her head, Jamie licked her lips. “No,” she protested softly, reaching out with one arm.

A small, dark towel covered his lap where he had pulled the table closer, and Steve began delicately pulling out small pieces of glass. His fingers were gentle as he probed and cleaned the wounds, covering them in butterfly strips before he wrapped her wrist and hand. Then he reached for her other arm.

Once she was bandaged up, Steve set the supplies aside and watched as Jamie hung her head. “Jamie, we’re not upset,” Bucky assured her, his voice quiet.

“Why not?” she asked darkly. “I show up, make your lives a mess. You don’t even _know_ me anymore, and you’ve had to rearrange everything…”

“Hey,” Steve interrupted her gently, leaning forward onto his knees so he could catch her eyes. “Jamie, we take care of family; and you’ve _always_ been family.”

She snorted humourlessly, averting her gaze. “Yeah; everyone’s little sister,” she muttered.

“No, that’s not what he said,” Bucky corrected, tightening his arms around her briefly. “But we were punk kids, Jamie. And on top of that, you were our best friend’s teenage sister. You were off-limits.”

“Still, that didn’t stop us from wanting you,” Steve continued. He reached out to cup the side of her face, watched as her eyes flinched closed, expecting a blow. He frowned “We can’t hurt you, Jamie.”

“You can’t _want_ me, either,” she argued, voice dark. “Not after…everything I’ve done.”

“You were trying to survive on your own,” Bucky murmured. “Princess, we both know the last three years can’t have been easy. I know we’re alphas, and we’re not in the vulnerable position that you are. Society puts expectations on you that it doesn’t on us, and we can’t imagine what it’s been like to try and navigate it alone.”

Steve’s thumb stroked her cheek, nodding in agreement. “You were living, and you made it here. That’s all that matters to us. If we could have gone for you in high school, we would have.”

“What stopped you?” she asked angrily. “You’ve both said now that you couldn’t. But I know Jason was okay with it, so I don’t understand.”

“Your aunt warned us off, not long after we started hanging out with Jason,” Bucky explained darkly. His tone sent a shiver through her, and he stroked one of his hands down her back bending to press a kiss to her shoulder.

Steve watched the confusion dance across her face, her eyes pained, and he shook his head. “You didn’t know?” he asked, though he already knew the answer.

“She never…” Jamie’s voice choked off and she pushed to her feet, out of the men’s holds, despite how hard she trembled. “ _Why_ would she do that?”

“We weren’t the best-behaved kids around,” Bucky said with a sigh, running his hands through his hair.

Steve watched her hug herself while Jamie chewed her lower lip. Water dripped from her hair, down over her shoulders and she shuddered. “We’re not trying to make you uncomfortable,” he told her gently. “If all you want is to stay here, and keep things the way they are, that’s fine. The last thing in the world we want is to hurt you, Jamie.”

Jamie stared between the men, her mind whirling. She could see the sincerity on their faces, and both of the alphas were working hard at keeping themselves non-threatening, she knew that. Realizing she was standing in nothing but a towel as water continued to drip down her shoulders, she shivered, hugging herself carefully, her hands throbbing; she stared down at the bandages that encased them. “I need to get dressed,” she muttered.

The men could smell her anxiety and shared a glance when she shuffled to her room. With a small nod, Bucky followed close behind her, stepping just inside while she rifled through her clothes. He watched Jamie stiffen as she realized he was there, and turned to stare at him, her brow furrowed when he leaned against the wall.

“What?” she asked warily.

“Princess, we’re not leaving you alone just yet,” he explained softly, indicating her arms.

Jamie glanced down at her hands, clenched her jaw and turned her back on him. She pulled on the leggings underneath the towel, and the large sweater overtop, tugging the towel from underneath, her movements stiff and slow. Staring out the window, she sighed heavily, staring down at her hands as they throbbed.

“How about some pain meds and something cold to drink?” Bucky asked gently.

Nodding, she turned and followed him out to the main room, to find Steve had dressed and patiently waiting with water and meds ready for her. The pills were easy but holding the glass in her stiff hands made her whine in angry frustration. She knew she had done it to herself, and it pissed her off even further. After setting down the glass, Jamie walked to the back sunroom to see that the rain had changed when the temperature had dropped; snow was falling, though it melted as it touched the ground. “Do you remember that bush party, your second-last year of high school?” she asked quietly, staring outside and avoiding their gaze.

Steve sat on the edge of the couch there while Bucky leaned against the fireplace, and the men shared a glance. “The one you weren’t supposed to be at,” Steve agreed with a chuckle, studying her face as he caught the blush that washed up her cheeks.

Jamie nodded, carefully crossing her arms across her stomach to hug herself. “It was all the three of you had talked about for weeks,” she murmured absently. “And I figured with Jason being sick, I could sneak out and see what all the fuss was about. The clearing was huge, I thought I could stay far enough away from the two of you. There were other omegas there…”

Bucky grinned, shaking his head. “Except we picked you out the second you stepped foot in the area,” he said with a chuckle.

“How?” she questioned, glancing at him, the frown deeply entrenched on her face.

“You’re like a beacon,” Steve replied gently, glancing at the other alpha. “Easy for us to find in a crowd.”

Shaking her head to try and clear it, Jamie turned back to stare outside. “Shot all my fun out the window that night,” she whispered.

The men laughed lightly, trying to gauge her mood. “Jason would have killed us both if anything happened to you there,” Steve added quietly, feeling guilt tear through him. “Which… I have to apologize, Jamie. If we’d known he was gone, we would have found you sooner, Jamie.”

Bucky watched as she ducked her head, and he moved to stand next to her. “We don’t mean to upset you, princess,” he murmured, reaching out to stroke her hair, watching as she flinched. “Shit, sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she assured. “I just…” Jamie’s voice drifted off and she shook her head. She held her hands up against her chest, wanted to hug herself but knew it would hurt. “I don’t know what to _do_ ,” she whispered, her voice full of pain.

Bucky watched as her shoulders tensed and he let out a patient sigh as he watched her breathing increase again. “Jamie, we won’t do anything to hurt you,” Bucky promised her. “And we certainly won’t do anything you don’t want.”

Jamie covered her face with her hands, her shoulders hunched, and Bucky wrapped his arms around her stomach, resting his head on her shoulder. “Take a deep breath,” he instructed softly, his voice firm. She did, but it shuddered past her lips while she let her head fell back against his shoulder. “Good,” he praised. “Now again.”

Part of her balked at being told what to do like a child, the rest of her slowly melted against his body. Jamie turned to lean her forehead onto his cheek as she dropped her hands, closing her eyes as she continued to breathe deeply, one of his hands catching both of hers and holding them carefully against her body.

When she relaxed further into him, Bucky smiled. “You’re tired,” he observed gently. “I think you need to lay down, princess.”

Jamie dug her nails into his hand, shaking her head against his jaw. “Will you stay with me?” she asked, her voice timid.

He nodded and glanced at Steve before he easily lifted her in his arms. Bucky carried her to her room and crawled into the center of her bed and settled them. He relaxed onto his side and raised his brow in surprise when Jamie turned to face him, tucking her head under his chin, her hands drawn up into her neck. He wrapped his arms around her and shushed her when she let out a shuddery breath. “I’m right here, princess,” he promised, feeling her body slowly relax by degrees until he knew she was asleep. Only then did he let himself doze off to nap.

*****


	12. Chapter 12

Jamie was awakened by the throbbing in her hands and fought the fog in her head until the events of earlier in the day came rushing back to her. She stiffened when she realized she was trapped, her entire body drawing tight as her breath came in short pants. Her hands had slipped under Bucky’s shirt while she had been asleep, and their legs had tangled; unless he moved, she was stuck.

“Breathe, Jamie,” he murmured, one hand stroking her back, the other rubbing her side. “I’ll get us untangled, okay?” When he started to move away, her fingers tightened on his abdomen and she whimpered. Her legs tightened around the thigh settled between hers, and Bucky felt a shudder roll through her; her scent changed from panic to arousal and a confused whimper escaped her. “Hey, hey, wait for just a second,” he urged, drawing back enough to see her face.

She stared up at him, her eyelids heavy as a heavy blush coloured her cheeks. Bringing a hand up to stroke his knuckles over her face, Bucky smiled slightly. He wanted to be certain she was following her own wants, not reacting how she thought he expected. “Tell me what  _ you _ want, princess,” he said, voice deep.

Jamie stroked her hands further up his chest, whispering, “Shirt off…please.”

He pulled away, making her whine in distress, but he shushed her softly and was back as soon as the fabric was tossed aside. “I’m right here,” he assured her.

She shifted her hips again, rubbing herself against his thigh, a groan crawling from her throat while she hid her face against his throat. Jamie felt one of his hands run down to cup her hip, while he leaned back enough to see her face. He shifted his leg, his hand on her hip encouraging her to move again, and she closed her eyes with a gasp.

He smiled, watching the pleasure on her face. “Take what you want, Jamie.”

She ran her fingertips over the bare skin of his chest, exploring, while she leaned forward to kiss him, her breath leaving her lips in a shivery sigh. Rocking against him, she wrapped a hand up into his hair, hissing when she flexed her fingers and they protested in pain. Bucky understood and leaned into her.

He took over the kiss but kept it gentle, slow, not wanting to overwhelm or frighten her. Jamie’s lips opened slightly, her tongue peeked out to touch his lip hesitantly, his hand on her cheek moving to cup her jaw. Bucky felt her shiver, and he paused, his thumb stroking her cheek, and he asked, “Is this okay?”

Drawing far enough away to speak she nodded slightly. “All I can smell is you,” she whispered, licking her lips, and his at the same time. “And you smell safe.”

Bucky drew her back in, pressing soft kisses around her lips before she moved in for a deep kiss, breathing him in and rocking against him. The seam of her leggings pressed against her clit; a soft whine sounded in her chest as his hand on her hip continued to encourage her. Jamie felt the pleasure rise, and she cried out softly into his mouth, shuddering against him as the orgasm washed over her.

He drew away from her mouth to see her face flushed, and Bucky pressed soft kisses along her cheeks and closed eyes. He hugged her close and felt her scent change to embarrassment, smiling slightly. “Breathe, princess,” he murmured against her forehead. His thumb stroked her cheek as he felt her pant against his neck.

The alpha glanced up as he heard the door open slightly, and Steve slipped in with a glass of water and some pain pills. The men grinned at each other as Steve approached the bed, watching as Jamie buried her face into the pillows.

Jamie felt the bed shift behind her as Steve crawled in and settled just behind her, not quite touching. She could feel the heat of his body, knew he could smell her arousal, and licked her lips as she hid against Bucky’s chest.

“Sweetheart, it’s all right,” Steve assured softly, reaching out to stroke a hand down her arm. “I brought you something for the pain, and Wanda called; she’ll be over in a little while.”

The omega glanced back with a frown. “You called her?”

“I didn’t, no,” he replied. “She called to say hello and see how you were doing. But I did mention that you’d injured your wrists, and she’d like to take a look at them.”

Jamie sighed heavily, sitting up and drawing her knees up to her chest. The men each rested a hand on her back and Bucky said, “It’s not a bad idea to have her check them.”

“I know,” she agreed. Steve grabbed the water and pain tablets, handing them over. Jamie took them carefully. “I should change before she gets here…”

Bucky leaned forward to press a kiss to her cheek with a smile. “I’m going to grab a shower,” he murmured against her skin.

Jamie pushed to her feet and moved to her dresser, as she heard the other alpha push to his feet behind her. She stiffened as he neared, turning until she could see him in her peripheral vision, and she watched him pause.

“Are you all right, sweetheart?” She nodded, trying to decide what to do with her hands, growling in frustration. Steve stood behind her and held her arms in his own, wrapping them around her waist. He leaned his cheek against the side of her head and kissed her head. “Talk to me,” he urged softly.

“Even I’m not sure anymore,” she admitted with a heavy sigh.

He grinned and held his hands up so Jamie could place her palms against his own, letting him stroke his thumbs along hers. “You’ll be okay, sweetheart,” he promised, pressing another kiss against her hair.

Feeling his phone go off, Steve pulled away to check it and raised his brow. “Clint’s here,” he said softly in surprise. “I’ll let you change, and go let him in.”

She watched him go and let out a long breath. In the bathroom, she carefully removed the bandages from her hands and winced as she cleaned herself up and pulled on fresh clothes, another pair of leggings and a tunic sweater. Making her way to the main room, she found Clint with a beer and leaned over the kitchen island and talking with the alphas.

The trio of men turned to her as she entered, making her stop to chew her lip nervously at suddenly being the center of attention. Jamie was thankful when a knock sounded and Wanda entered with Sam trailing behind, the couple smiling in greeting before the nurse caught sight of Jamie’s hands.

“ _ Lepuras _ , what happened?” she murmured softly, rushing over as she gently inspected the bruising and butterfly bandages that were in place.

“I, uh… I sort of lost my temper,” Jamie whispered in response.

Wanda stepped into her and stroked her cheek gently. “Let me grab some things and ice packs, and we can go sit, all right?”

Jamie nodded and moved ahead of her to the sunroom, sitting in the middle of the couch with her feet tucked under her. Wanda entered and applied some antiseptic cream to a few spots, then gently wound a little bit of gauze around her wrists. She left it light, allowing Jamie’s skin to breathe, then drew the other woman in to snuggle.

“Is everything all right?” Wanda asked gently, her eyes drawn up when she noticed movement in the doorway; Clint had come to stand at the top of the stairs.

Jamie’s eyes flicked to the counsellor, then down to her hands and she grimaced, laying them on a gel ice pack. “I’m just… I freaked out, and did this,” she said, indicating her hands. “It’s almost like I’m trying to give them a reason to get mad and kick me out, but… I don’t actually want that.”

“And they know you don’t,” Wanda assured her.

Jamie glanced up at the beta, who was leaning in the archway, though she had trouble meeting his eyes. “I’m sorry, about…earlier.”

He waved his hand, a gentle smile on his face. “Already forgotten,” he assured, coming down to sit on the table in front of the women. “I was going to give you until tomorrow, but Steve let me know what happened, and I thought it best to come to check in.” Motioning to her hands, he asked, “Are you all right?”

She sighed heavily and nodded. “I was just… I wasn’t thinking straight when I lashed out,” Jamie admitted, leaning heavily on the omega next to her. “I was so angry. At everything, and everyone, I just…”

“I’ve spent the night in that room; I know there’s a mirror in the shower,” Wanda said softly when the other woman’s voice died off. “I can only imagine being in that state of mind, then seeing your face.”

Licking her lips, Jamie sighed heavily. “I’m sorry you got dragged over here,” she muttered.

“I wasn’t staying long,” Clint said with a small grin. “Just wanted to check-in. Promise me, if you need me for anything, call or message me, darlin’. It’s never too late at night; I’m here whenever you need me, okay?”

“I promise,” she agreed. She watched him go, then glanced up at the woman who held her and quirked a small smile. “You probably need to go too.”

Wanda shook her head. “I am off for the next five days; my rotation is turning around,” she revealed. Jamie snuggled in further and the nurse stroked her arm. “What’s wrong?”

“I just… Something happened today, with Bucky, and I’m just not sure…what happens now,” she whispered.

“Things continue how they have been,” Wanda replied easily. “They will go by whatever you want to do, Jamie.”

She nodded and let out a long sigh. “They’ve said that too, I just… I guess part of me just doesn’t believe it.”

Sam appeared at the top of the stairs, his face cautious. “Food’s ready if you ladies are hungry.”

“Thanks, hun,” Wanda said with a smile. Looking down at the woman cuddled against her, she said, “What do you think; ready to eat something?”

Jamie nodded and the women moved upstairs to join the men. Dinner was roast chicken, potatoes, and vegetables; it took her time to cut everything up, but the conversation was light while they ate before the group moved to the living room. Jamie sat between the alphas, allowing Wanda to curl up next to Sam, while the group put on a movie, but she paid little attention to what happened on the screen. Her attention was divided between the men on either side of her.

It was just past midnight when the group broke up, and on his way out the door, Sam turned to Bucky. “So, Tuesday you leave for the conference with Shuri,” the beta reminded him.

“Damn, right!” Bucky groaned, running his hand through his hair. “We’ll coordinate everything tomorrow.”

Sam chuckled and nodded. “Thought it might have slipped your mind, just wanted to make sure.”

“Thanks, man. I’ll see you in the morning.” Bucky looked at Steve, then turned to Jamie, who was still sitting on the couch with her legs drawn up. He sat next to her and gently pulled her in to cuddle. “Princess, no expectations, but we know you sleep better when you’re curled up with one of us,” he said quietly.

They watched her eyes dart between the pair of them, and Steve smiled. “We won’t make you choose,” he assured her. “How about the three of us just go settle in Bucky’s room?”

Jamie chewed her lip, staring down at her hands. “I don’t want to make you two uncomfortable while you’re trying to sleep,” she murmured.

Pressing a kiss to her cheek, Bucky grinned. “You’re not, I promise,” he assured her. “Let’s grab some fresh cold packs for your hands, change, and then we’ll go get some sleep.”

She nodded in agreement and swallowed hard. After slowly changing, Jamie pulled on pyjama pants and an oversized t-shirt, then made her way to Bucky’s room. She found the men had dressed similarly, and Steve had set packs on the bedside table. Barnes sat at the side of the bed, and once she arrived, he laid down and smiled gently.

Slipping into the bed, Jamie settled so that her back was to the alpha already laying there, feeling him move until the heat of his body cocooned her, but he wasn’t pressed against her. Steve gave her the packs, letting her settle them between her arms before he lay on the bed facing her. Jamie was exhausted, and despite feeling nervous between them, the toll of the day quickly swept over her.

*****


	13. Chapter 13

A soft moan woke Jamie; she had tucked her hands up to her chest and rolled until she lay slightly on top of them. Bucky said her name questioningly, and she recognized the scent in front of her as his. When she whimpered slightly, she felt a hand on her hip, and Steve rolled her over to lean against him.

“What is it, sweetheart?” he asked softly.

“I rolled onto my arms,” she replied. “I couldn’t move without pushing on them.”

Bucky reached out to wipe a tear off her cheek, shifting closer, until she was cocooned between them. “What can I get you?”

Jamie closed her eyes, flushing and ducking her head as the men chuckled. “I’m okay,” she murmured.

“I’m going to go start some breakfast,” Steve said quietly before he pressed a kiss to her shoulder.

Jamie kept her head down but nodded as he left. Bucky grinned at her shyness and used the tips of his fingers to tilt her chin up until he could kiss her cheek. “I’m going to go shower and change. Go take something for your hands, okay?”

She nodded and sat up. Though her hands were stiff, now that she wasn’t lying on them, they mostly felt sore and bruised, but the pain wasn’t as sharp as it had been the day before. Breakfast was swift before the trio headed out to work.

*****

Tuesday morning Jamie woke when Bucky’s alarm went off, earlier than usual. The trio showered and she met Bucky in the kitchen, smiling when he shared his breakfast of eggs and toast with her. Sitting next to her, he faced her and tucked her hair behind her ear. “You could have slept longer,” he said gently.

She blushed softly and shrugged. “You’re going to be gone for at least a day,” she replied.

He grinned and leaned in to nuzzle her cheek, having finished eating. Bucky chuckled when he felt her shiver and lean into him. “I can still cancel if you need me to, Jamie,” he offered.

Shaking her head, she looked up at him and smiled. “Steve’s here, I’ll be okay,” she assured. “And you should go get ready; Shuri will be here soon.” It had been decided that Bucky would leave the truck here, and the beta was picking up Barnes to go to the conference a few hours away.

He stood and moved off to his room after Jamie waved him away from the dishes, cleaning up after them. Steve appeared to get food himself, freshly showered, and Jamie noted his beard looked trimmed.

A short time later, Bucky reappeared talking on his phone. He hung up with a grin. “She’s just around the corner,” he announced, dropping his duffel bag. Jamie let Bucky pull her in close at the door, tucked in under his chin as he enveloped her in his arms. “I’ll be back in a day, maybe two depending on how the conference goes,” he assured her.

She nodded, holding his shirt even as her hands ached; they were healing well, but the skin was tight. “I know,” she agreed. “I’ll be okay.”

Bucky nuzzled her neck and felt her shiver in his arms, making him grin as he pulled back to press a soft kiss to her lips. “I’ll message. I promise.” He turned to Steve and the men shared a look before Bucky grabbed his bag and left.

Steve touched her shoulder and Jamie looked up at him with a small smile. “What would you like to do, Jamie?”

“I thought you had to work?” she questioned.

“Managed a few days off,” he replied with a grin.

Jamie looked outside, and though cool and overcast, no rain or snow had begun to fall yet. “I know it’s early, but… Can we go for a walk?”

“You ate with Bucky, right?” he asked in concern. When Jamie nodded, he smiled. “All right. Then let’s change, and we can take coffee in travel mugs.”

She had begun to be able to enjoy it when it was lukewarm and nodded in agreement. Disappearing into her room, Jamie slipped on a pair of jeans that Wanda had given her, a black long-sleeved t-shirt, and grabbed a fleece-lined denim jacket. Grabbing a messenger bag over her head to lay across her chest, she went back to the main room.

Steve waited at the back door in jeans and a leather jacket and his shoes already on, hers waiting next to the door. He was just tightening the lids on their travel mugs as she appeared. “All set?”

Jamie nodded and slipped her feet into her runners, took the cup he held out to her. Steve locked the house behind them and let her lead the way off the deck and onto the paths. “I’m not sure where to go,” she admitted.

“I know the area like the back of my hand,” Steve told her with a nod. “You can walk whatever way you want; I can still get us home, I promise.”

She smiled and took a mouthful of her coffee, starting them in the opposite direction from where she and Clint had walked a few days earlier. A breeze came up, making her step closer to his body, and Jamie tentatively reached for his hand, rolling her eyes up to look at his face.

He smiled down at her and interlaced their fingers, then paused. “Is this okay, or does it hurt?”

“It stretches the skin a little, but not in a bad way. If it starts getting sore, I’ll switch,” she assured him, smiling as he squeezed gently. They continued walking, and she let out a sigh. “Can I ask you something?”

He took his own drink and nodded. “You can ask me anything, Jamie,” he told her gently.

She swallowed hard, uncertain how he would respond. “Bucky mentioned he was held hostage…?”

Steve took a deep breath, staring out ahead of him, and let it out slowly. “When Buck and I signed up, it didn’t take us long to get recruited to Special Ops,” he started slowly. A ghost of a smile crossed his face and he chuckled. “Our commanding officer once said watching us work together was like a well-oiled machine; Fury picked our team first for assignments over ones that had been around longer, because we had quickly become that good. It’s where we met Natasha. She was transferred into our unit, and then it was like there was nothing we couldn’t do.”

Jamie heard the hint of sadness in his tone, and she stepped closer into his body, watching his face. She didn’t speak but squeezed his hand and let him continue.

“It was… Shit, it was _ten_ years ago now,” he said with a snort, shaking his head. “Anyway, we were going in on a simple recon; we knew the target was dirty. We were trying to gather intelligence; Gabe planting the upstairs device to hack the computer systems there with Bucky standing guard. Nat was planting the one downstairs with me; he ran completely independent systems the guy was so paranoid. Morita and Dugan were on high watch outside the compound and gave the signal for us to evacuate, but…” Steve’s voice died off and he stared into the trees as they walked for a few steps. He had to clear his throat before he could continue. “There were people upstairs who got the drop on Gabe and Bucky, and when we went back in…”

The pain in his voice cut at Jamie, and she shuddered. “I’m sorry, Steve. If you can’t…”

“No, it’s all right,” he assured her, blowing out a long breath. “Fuck, you’d think I’d be over this, wouldn’t you?”

She stopped them, reaching up to touch his face. “Trauma lingers, _believe me_ , I understand,” she assured him.

Steve pressed a kiss to her forehead, drawing in her scent and smiling against her skin. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he took another drink of his coffee before he continued. “When we went back in, they were gone.” He shuddered, and Jamie wound her arm around his waist, under his coat. “It took us twelve days to find them, and by the time we went in… Gabe didn’t make it. And Bucky…” Steve cleared his throat and shook his head. “You’ve seen the scars on his arm, but he has more, down his back. They’re burns. I have speculation as to how he got them, but… He hasn’t told me specifically, and believe me, I don’t want to push. He came out with broken bones, the burns, internal bleeding…”

His voice died off and Jamie shivered, picturing the alpha she had known as a teen, the one she knew now, in such a state. Steve pulled her in and hugged her, rubbing her back, murmuring gently. She laughed humourlessly and shook her head, whispering, “I feel like I should be soothing you; you’re the one who had to see him like that.”

“But it’s still not easy to hear,” he replied gently. Drawing back, he smiled at her, tucking her hair behind her ear and studied her face before he kissed her cheek.

He started them walking again, and she let out a long breath. “He couldn’t go to the hospital, when you had the accident?” Jamie asked.

“Bucky spent weeks recovering from what they did to him,” he replied with a sigh, nodding as he remembered. “And burns, especially severe ones… They’re a bitch to heal, and painful as hell. It triggers memories that he has a hard time dealing with. If he _has_ to, he will, but we have amazing friends that have promised that they will look after things if they can.”

“I’m glad,” Jamie murmured.

The sound of a dog’s howl drew her attention, and Jamie paused as a large red Husky came bounding up to Steve and jumped to plant its paws on his chest to lick his beard. He laughed in response as Jamie pulled back, watching as he roughed up the animal’s ears. “And how are you, girl?”

The Husky growled and groaned back at him, making Jamie frown curiously as Steve seemingly had a conversation and the dog ‘talked’ with him. Until she heard someone jogging to catch up. Jamie glanced over to see one of the guys from the garage, Pietro, jogging to catch up.

“Fina, you know you’re not allowed to jump up!” he admonished with a frown.

“Ah, it's all right. She knows it’s me,” Steve replied with a laugh.

“Yes, but she doesn’t know Jamie,” Pietro replied. “I’m sorry, she really _does_ know better.”

The omega smiled as the animal got down and came over to sniff at her, the Husky’s curled tail wagging happily. Jamie looked down to see one hazel and one blue eye staring back at her, and she smiled. “It’s okay,” she replied. “You said her name was Fina?”

“Seraphina,” he replied with a grin. “Means fiery one.”

Jamie laughed, kneeling and stroking her red and white fur. “Appropriate,” she agreed, smiling as the dog nuzzled at her chest. “Well, hello there, Seraphina.” When the dog groaned and whined back at her, she shook her head. “You’re a talkative one, aren’t you?”

“You have _no_ idea,” Pietro agreed. “I swear she argues for the fun of it most days. But you still need to get your energy out, or you’ll keep me up all night, Fina. So, let’s go you!” When the dog moaned at him and cuddled closer to Jamie, then sprawled onto her back for a belly rub while Steve and Jamie laughed, Pietro threw up his hands in exasperation. He paced a few feet away, then turned back to the dog and put his hands on his hips, pointing down the trail. “Fina, _let’s go_.”

The husky huffed and turned her head away from him with a growl, ignoring him for a moment, then stood and took off at a run, forcing Pietro to sprint after her with a curse. Jamie laughed, shaking her head as Steve offered her a hand to stand. He rubbed his thumb along her knuckles and smiled down at her. “Still want to walk, or head back?”

They had reached a spot where the path split into three, and Jamie pointed, “Where will that take us?”

“That slowly winds back around; takes longer than how we came, but not quite doubles the time,” he replied. “The one straight ahead obviously keeps going. And the one to the left heads up to the road. Or, we can take the same path back, and take one of the side ones that we bypassed earlier.”

“Let’s go right here and wind our way back slowly.”

Jamie had finished her coffee and put the empty travel cup into her messenger bag. “Finished with yours?” she asked.

Steve took one last mouthful and grinned. “I wondered why you had brought that!” he said with a laugh.

“Figured we wouldn’t want to carry them once we’d finished them,” she replied with a shrug. Jamie wrapped her arm back around Steve’s waist and they continued their walk. The silence was comfortable until her phone rang. Seeing Wanda’s number, she answered with a smile. “Hey.”

“Hey, Jamie. I know you don’t have a lot of winter things; heavier sweaters and only the one pair of jeans,” Wanda started. “I wondered if you wanted to go shopping?”

“Umm, maybe?”

“I know Steve’s off today,” Wanda continued gently. “Sam and I were thinking that maybe the two of you might want to join us. There’s a great store that I love shopping at, it’s laid-back, the owner is great. And we could all get a late lunch after.”

Jamie thought it over and glanced up at Steve, who was studying her curiously. “Let me just check with Steve, and I’ll message you back. How’s that?”

“That works. Talk soon,” Wanda agreed.

Hanging up, Jamie stared at her cell for a minute, then explained to Steve. She looked up at him, chewing her lip. “It’s early, so we’d have time.”

Steve knew she was nervous; she had only been out to the men’s jobs. Drawing her to a stop, he wrapped both arms around her and stared down at her. “I’ll be there the whole time, and so will Wanda,” he assured her. “But if you’re not comfortable, we don’t have to.”

“I think I’ll be okay,” she replied quietly. Jamie rested her hands on his chest and stared at the scabs that peeked above the cuffs of her jacket. “Yeah, we could go. I’ll message her back.”

He started them walking, and the women agreed in messages that they would arrange a time once Jamie and Steve had returned home and cleaned up. The silence on the way back to the house was comfortable, and Jamie walked with her arm wrapped around Steve’s waist under his leather jacket again.

Once they reached the house, Jamie hung up her coat and said, “I’m going to go shower and change, then message Wanda. And, I guess ask where we’re meeting her?”

“I know what shop she’s talking about, so just ask her what time is good for her and Sam,” Steve replied. “I’ll clean up and change too.”


	14. Chapter 14

An hour later, the four met in the mall, Wanda drawing Jamie in for a hug, smiling at Steve as she drew back. “How are you, _lepuras_?”

“I’m good. But I’m not sure if we really need to be here…”

“Jamie, you only have one pair of jeans,” Wanda reasoned gently. “It’s getting colder out, so it’s only reasonable to get you some warmer clothes.”

Steve watched Jamie frown, and he wrapped an arm around her waist, hugging her against his side. “Sweetheart, she’s not wrong,” he said softly.

She leaned into his side but let out a heavy sigh and nodded. “Okay.”

“I promise, it won’t be that bad,” he murmured against her forehead before he pressed a kiss against her skin.

Jamie laughed slightly, shaking her head at herself. “It’s _just_ shopping,” she said softly to herself. “I can do this.”

“C’mon,” Wanda said gently, leading the way inside.

Jamie was surprised to see the store mostly empty, despite it being midday. A tall man approached Wanda and enveloped the omega in a hug, smiling broadly as he murmured in her ear, then turned to the men. Still grinning, he shook their hands and greeted them warmly before he turned to Jamie. She studied him from where she stood off to the side; he was slightly taller than Steve but instead of the alpha’s broad muscles, the stranger was lean and graceful, jet-black hair curled along his shoulders, and pale blue eyes watched her stare. Jamie noted the patience in his face; he seemed ready to wait until she made the first move. But the longer she stared, the more something ate at her.

“Jamie, this is Loki,” Wanda introduced finally, coming to stand next to the other omega.

Jamie nodded slightly but still made no move towards the man. Loki watched realization dawn across her face in surprise, and he smiled gently. “Hello, Jamie,” he greeted.

“I can’t get a…” Jamie ground her teeth. To ask outright if Loki was a non-designation was rude, and she couldn’t do it, but she realized that was what was bothering her; there was no discernible scent from him.

“I’m a Chimera-designation,” Loki supplied, watching her struggle and taking pity on her. He watched her eyes widen in surprise, and his smile widened. “You’ve never met one, I take it?”

“I’ve heard of it, but never met one in person, no,” she replied softly. Chimeras were rare; they could choose their designation based on their partner, and it was possible to continually change it. Scientists had never found an explanation for the genetic malleability, but it was fascinating. Jamie looked at Wanda, then the men, shaking her head. “That’s why you brought me here, wasn’t it?”

Steve nodded, grinning. “It’s not the same as shopping in regular stores; Loki’s less threatening.”

Jamie nodded in agreement, a small smile on her face as she looked at the stranger. “Yeah.”

Wanda grinned. “So, let’s find you some things!”

Sam and Steve moved to the leather armchairs in the corner to make themselves coffee, letting Wanda and Jamie browse with Loki helping. The group spent over an hour looking, both women trying on clothes.

While they were in the back at the changerooms, Wanda wrapped an arm around Jamie as she came out from behind a curtain in a pair of jeans and a sweater. “Jamie, there’s one other thing we should get you while we’re here,” the nurse said gently. When Jamie frowned at her, Wanda smiled at her. “You need to get some proper bras, _lepuras_.”

Jamie flushed, ducking her head as Loki came back into the area. He had heard the comment and studied the omega’s self-conscious expression. Setting down the pile of clothes in his hands, he slowly approached Jamie, who shuffled nervously. Using his index finger, he pulled her gaze up to meet his and asked, “No need to be nervous or embarrassed. We can take care of anything you need while you’re here. What have you been wearing?”

“Sports-bras, for…a while now,” Jamie admitted. At the women’s shelters and donation stores, they were the most readily available, even if they often weren’t the right size.

Loki smiled gently. “May I?” he asked, holding his hands at her sides, near her ribcage. When she nodded tentatively, he wrapped his fingers gently around her ribs and narrowed his eyes. “All right, let me gather some things, and I’ll be back.”

Wanda hugged her gently, rubbing her back. “It won’t be awful, I promise.”

When he returned with a handful of items, Loki watched Jamie swallow. Wanda had messaged him that the group was coming and warned him that the other omega would likely be nervous. Loki worked hard at projecting calm. “We can take as much time as you need,” he assured her.

Jamie stared up at the tall man and smiled slightly. “I know,” she agreed. Looking at Wanda, she said, “Will you come into the change room?”

“Of course,” she said easily.

Half an hour later, Jamie was flustered as Steve stood at the cash register. “I’m sorry,” she whispered as the total rang up, embarrassed he was spending so much money on her. Jamie was thankful Wanda had paid first, and the other couple had moved towards the front of the store, talking between each other, while she and Steve were at the till.

Steve frowned down at her, scented her unease, and saw the soft blush that coloured her cheeks. He wrapped an arm around her waist to draw her in against his side. Nuzzling against her forehead, he kissed her temple. “You’ve nothing to be sorry for, Jamie,” he assured her softly.

Loki walked the bag full of clothes around to hand to Jamie. When she looked up at him, his smile was gentle. “If you think of anything else you need, don’t hesitate to come back. It was a pleasure to meet you, Jamie.”

She took the clothes and smiled slightly. “Thank you,” she murmured.

Taking the bag from her hand, Steve smiled when she laced their fingers together and he led the way out to join the couple who was waiting patiently. “Decided on a place to eat?”

“We were thinking Lola’s,” Sam replied, arm wrapped around Wanda. “Stow the bags in the cars and walk there.”

Jamie frowned slightly between the trio, and Wanda explained, “The food is amazing, and it’s quieter than a roadhouse. Just a block and a half away.”

“Then that sounds great,” she agreed. Jamie tucked herself in tighter against Steve as they walked, nervous at being out, but she noticed that no one looked at her twice. On the street, she was used to being stared at or harassed; alphas especially looking to take advantage of a solitary omega. It had been years since she had been able to walk freely and feel safe, and Jamie knew that being with Steve was a large reason why.

The building was a grey fieldstone, giving it a charming appearance from the outside, Jamie noted, with the name “Lola’s Choice” etched on the glass doors. Steve held the door for the group and quickly re-took her hand once they were inside.

“Steve! Why didn’t you call to say you were coming?” came a chiding voice to the side before the hostess could even greet them.

Jamie turned to see a gorgeous Asian woman coming to draw him in for a hug, pulling back to cup his face. Jamie tried to move away, but he tightened his hand slightly and turned to draw her in against his side as he spoke.

“We just decided while we were out,” he replied with a chuckle, glancing down to see the insecurity on the omega’s face. “Jamie, this is Melinda; her husband used to be Bucky and my supervisor,” Steve explained quietly. He watched her smile tentatively in greeting and squeezed her slightly.

Melinda smiled gently in response. “It’s nice to meet you, Jamie,” she said quietly, then turned to the other couple. “And how have the two of you been?”

“Keeping busy,” Sam replied with a broad smile. “You’re looking good, Melinda.”

Grabbing menus, she grinned at the hostess and waved at the group. “Let me get you settled, and I’ll let him know you’re here,” Melinda replied. “He’s meeting with our wine supplier, but we both know he’ll come out before you leave.”

As she spoke, she led them to a rounded corner booth off to the side near the bar, secluded and quiet. “Stephen is working the bar tonight, and Christine will be over in just a minute,” Melinda said before she walked away with a nod.

Jamie had moved towards the center of the booth, and she glanced up as Steve took one of her fidgeting hands in his and soothed her fingers. “Melinda and Phil aren’t usually here this early on a weekday, or I would have warned you that we know the owners,” he said softly in apology.

She licked her lips and glanced up at him, noticing Wanda and Sam were studying their menus to give them some privacy. “You said he was your supervisor?”

Steve nodded, pushing to lean back slightly in the booth. “On that last mission,” he said softly. “Bucky’s capture and torture, Gabe’s death… I took it hard, but it _really_ messed with Phil. There was faulty intel; the house wasn’t fully cleared upstairs, and that’s how they got captured. Coulson…” Blowing out a long breath, Steve smiled humourlessly and shook his head. “He took it personally like he should have somehow known.”

Jamie studied his face as he spoke but noticed that he played with the fingers on her hand that he still held, staring into nothing ahead of him. “There’s no way he could have.”

“It’s what we all told him,” Steve agreed. “But he was a career military man; his entire family has always been in it. He didn’t know what else to do.”

He was interrupted when a woman approached, a broad smile on her face as she pulled out a pad. “Hey guys, it’s been a while,” she greeted. “I see we left tall, dark, and brooding at home and brought a new face along!”

Steve laughed, squeezing Jamie’s hand as he nodded. “Christine, this is Jamie,” he introduced. “Jamie, meet Christine; she’s worked here since Phil and Melinda opened the place, with her husband Stephen.”

Jamie studied the brunette beta and smiled. “It’s nice to meet you,” she greeted, feeling the air of warmth the woman exuded.

“And you, Jamie,” she replied. “So, since you’re new, I’ll just grab drink orders and ask if you want your usual appetizers, Sam? Steve? That way, Jamie can properly look at the menu.”

“Raspberry iced tea for me,” Wanda said.

“That actually sounds good,” Jamie agreed with a nod.

“I’ll have a Stella, and yeah, the stuffed mushrooms, Chris,” Sam said with a broad smile.

Steve chuckled. “Same drink, and you know I won’t pass up the bruschetta.”

“I’ll put it all in and be back with the drinks in a few minutes.”

Jamie opened her menu and was in awe. “Everything looks amazing,” she murmured.

“Phil came up with the menu and recipes himself,” Sam said with a smile, shaking his head. “The man is a genius.”

“You’re kidding?” Jamie asked, staring back down at the items. “What is everyone else getting?”

“I have been craving the champagne shrimp pasta,” Wanda replied, rolling her eyes in happiness. “It’s so incredible.”

Sam laughed at her. “Sesame chicken here,” he told Jamie. “It’s served with steamed vegetables and mushroom risotto; so amazing.”

“Both of those sound really good,” Jamie replied, licking her lips. Turning to Steve, noticing his menu was already folded. “And you?”

“Burgundy beef strips, roasted potatoes, and broccoli,” he replied, laughing as she groaned, shaking his head. “It’s a hard decision, I’ll admit. What are you looking at?”

“I think the pecan chicken with lemon butter?” Jamie replied uncertainly, chewing her lip.

“Oooh, good choice,” Wanda commented with a nod. “It’s fantastic! And the veggies dipped in the lemon butter taste amazing too.”

Jamie nodded in agreement then, letting out a sigh. When Christine came back with the drinks, the group ordered, and the conversation was light, though Steve noticed Jamie mostly observed unless someone asked her a question. They finished their meals, and while Christine packed up their leftovers, Phil came over to the table. Jamie watched as Steve smiled broadly, standing to embrace the man tightly before he introduced them.

Phil took her hands, his eyes quickly noting the injuries and held her gently, as he smiled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said easily.

Jamie blushed as the beta released her hands and Steve sat next to her, Coulson pulling up a chair to sit at the outer edge of the booth. She sat silently as the alpha put his arm around her and drew her close, as the group caught up. Jamie tried to pay attention but found herself distracted as Steve’s fingers traced patterns absently along her upper arm. The movement was natural, and she decided that he was likely not even aware that he was doing it, until his other hand reached over to take hers on top of the table, stroking his thumb across her knuckles; she was enveloped in him.

When Coulson turned to talk to Wanda and Sam, Steve glanced down at Jamie after he felt her shiver slightly. “You alright?” he murmured against her temple. She nodded in response and smiled, leaning into his touch with a hum.

Nearly an hour after he had sat down, their waitress came over and laid her hand on Coulson’s shoulder. “Sorry to interrupt boss, but the phone’s for you,” Christine said with an apologetic smile. “Stephen’s tried to put them off, or hand them over to Melinda, but they just won’t have it.”

Phil nodded with a sigh. “Job is never done,” he said with a chuckle. “I will let you all go, as long as you promise not to leave it so long before you come back.”

“You got it,” Steve agreed with a broad smile. He turned back to the group and glanced down at Jamie. “Anywhere else you want to go?”

“I think I’m good,” she replied, glancing at Wanda with a shrug.

“We’re all good,” the nurse agreed.

Sam nodded. “I think we can let you go home now; Wanda’s finished playing dress-up with poor Jamie.”

Steve laughed and listened to the omega next to him giggle, and he hugged her closer. “Sounds good. But we _will_ have dinner out again soon.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tag updates

Steve noticed on the trip home that Jamie was quiet, and when she disappeared into her room to unpack the bags of clothes, he frowned. He walked into her room and moved to sit in the chair by the window, watching her as she moved silently around the room. Reaching out, he caught her arm as she walked past him, and drew her to stand in front of him. “Sweetheart, talk to me,” he urged. “What’s bothering you?”

Jamie chewed her lip as Steve drew her down to sit across his lap. “I’m just… I’m realizing how much you guys have spent on me since I got here,” she admitted. “Especially on clothes after today. And the food wasn’t cheap today either. But then groceries. And take-out. My cell phone…”

Placing his fingers over her lips to silence her, Steve smiled then stroked his knuckles over her cheek, the hand that was curled around her rested at her hip gently. “You deserve every single thing we can give you, Jamie,” he assured.

“But…”

“No buts,” he interrupted. “Sweetheart, Buck and I are both more than comfortable. We have our pensions from the military. Plus, he owns the garage, and I co-own the gym with Nat.” Steve studied her face and felt her slowly soften in his arms. “We want to give you everything that we can if you’ll let us.”

Jamie cuddled in against him, nuzzling in against his shoulder, and Steve felt her bring one of her hands up to tentatively stroke his neck. Fighting the urge to growl, he gently took her fingers in his and placed a gentle kiss on the palm of her hand before he looked down at her. “Jamie, I don’t want you to feel like you have to do this,” Steve urged her softly. “You don’t owe Bucky or me anything. You know that, right?”

She nodded shyly, looking up at him from under her lashes. “I just…” Licking her lips, Jamie stared at his chin. “I always wanted you both when we were younger,” she admitted quietly. “And you’re both here now, and neither of you seems to mind that I’m close with the other. But if you don’t want to…”

Steve chuckled when her voice died off, a deep rumble that made her shiver against him and look up. “I didn’t say _that_ ,” he assured her. He touched her chin with his fingers and tipped her face up to meet his, rubbing his nose against hers. “What do you want, sweetheart?”

Jamie could feel her face burning and she had to clear her throat before she finally murmured, “You.” She leaned forward and hovered over his lips, her eyes drifting closed as he closed the distance between them. Jamie sighed against his lips, pulling back so she could turn in his arms, standing so she could straddle his thighs, smiling down at him as she brushed her fingers along his cheek. He grinned back at her, his hands moving to hold her lower back, and Jamie bit her lower lip, suddenly shy at her bold move. “Hi,” she whispered.

“Hi,” he replied with a chuckle. Steve reached up to tuck some of her hair behind her ear, the tips of his fingers stroking along the column of her throat. “I won’t do anything you don’t want me to, Jamie,” he assured her.

“I know,” she agreed with a small nod. “It’s just… I haven’t really…”

Steve could feel her beginning to tense in his arms while Jamie’s scent started to sour slightly with anxiety, and he rubbed her back in reassurance. “Shhh,” he soothed quietly. “Slowly, sweetheart. We don’t have to do anything if you’re not ready…”

“I want to,” she rushed to say, shaking her head. “I just… It’s been a _long_ time. And I’ve only ever been with two men, Steve. And they were betas…”

He fought the possessive growl that wanted to erupt, knowing that Jamie had never been knotted, and smoothed his hands down her back soothingly. Steve smiled gently and reached up to cup her face, stroking his thumb over her cheek and watched her turn into the touch. “I promise, Jamie; Bucky and I won’t do anything you don’t want us to,” he said quietly. “We won’t knot you until you’re ready.”

Licking her lips, she smiled at him, her body relaxing against his chest as she cupped his face. Jamie kissed him, drawing his lower lip in to nip it gently, and listened to him groan; the sound made her grin. She leaned in and kissed him, opening her mouth to his, her breath shuddering softly as she slid her tongue in to slide along his. Jamie whined against his chest and pressed tighter into him, running her hands into his hair as she deepened the kiss.

After several minutes, Steve drew back so they could catch their breaths. Both were panting, and he brought one hand up to stroke her cheek, the other still rubbing circles on her lower back. She turned into his hand, closing her eyes and whispering, “Take me to bed.”

He leaned forward slowly, pressing a kiss to her forehead, and wrapped his arms under her thighs so he could stand with Jamie in his arms. Steve moved slowly with her held against him, fighting a groan when she kissed along his chin and nipped at his earlobe. He crawled onto the bed on his knees then sat with her on his lap, running his hands up her back.

Jamie shivered and pulled away long enough to pull her shirt off, dropping it on the bed behind her, wanting to feel his hands on her skin. She ground her hips down against his and smiled against his mouth when she felt how hard he was in his jeans, and shuddered.

Steve watched her flush, pulling his hands away from her long enough to pull his own shirt off and he watched her eyes widen. Brushing her hair from her face, he tucked it behind her ear and kissed her gently, pausing his hand when he would have wrapped it around her head; instead, trailing his fingers down her neck.

She tipped them over to the mattress, until they landed on their sides, their legs entwined. Jamie ran one of her hands down Steve’s chest as he leaned over to kiss her, then trailed down her shoulders with his lips. She reached behind herself to unclasp her bra, smiling as Steve took advantage of the exposed skin to lick and nip at her breasts. His lips sealed around one of her nipples until it pebbled, and he scraped his teeth across it, rolling her onto her back so he could treat the other breast to the same attention.

Jamie bit her lip and squirmed underneath him, reaching up to grip his hair. She stared down at him as Steve reached her ribs, his hands reaching for her jeans, his eyes staring up into hers. She reached down to help him push down her jeans and underwear, watching as he sat up on his knees to unzip his own jeans but left them on, then settled onto his stomach between her thighs.

Steve kissed her lower stomach gently, watching her squirm as he sucked on the skin gently, her own hands coming up to cup her breasts. He watched her reactions carefully as he kissed her thighs, finding them wet, and running the tip of his finger over her clit at the same time. Jamie gasped and shuddered, making him smile. Moving his mouth higher, he opened his mouth and kissed her deeply, thrusting his tongue deep inside, his hands holding her thighs wide when she tried to tighten them on his head.

A sharp gasp escaped Jamie’s throat, one of her hands reaching down to his head. She half-sat up and as her fingers buried in his hair, she could not decide if she wanted to push him away or pull him closer. “Steve, I… Oh, _fuck_!” she groaned.

He drew away so he could lick gently around her clit, watching her face while he slid a finger slowly into her. Her hips arched in encouragement, pressing down to meet his hand, and Steve smiled, humming and feeling her shiver in response.

Jamie panted, staring down to meet his eyes, the sight nearly overwhelming; his bright blue eyes were anchored on her face over her mound as he slid a second finger into her. Steve’s fingers pumped slowly, curling at the end, each time brushing deep inside and making her legs twitch. His tongue was torturing her, circling around her clit, tracing up and down her slit, but never putting direct pressure on her.

Reaching down with both hands, Jamie raked her nails through his hair and pressed her hips down towards him. “Please,” she whined. “Steve, _please_!”

He chuckled at the pleasured desperation in her voice and brought a third finger to ease in, pumping them quickly into her. While he stroked the place that made her groan deeply inside her, he suckled on her clit. Combined, the sensations made her cry out, her body bucking beneath him as she called his name.

Steve continued to stroke her until the shudders eased, and he pulled his fingers and licked them clean. He kissed her hips and up her belly, laying there while her breathing eased, pressing his lips between her breasts and smiling as her fingers stroked over his arms. “You okay?” he asked softly.

She grinned down at him and nodded, stroking her fingers over his lips, giggling as he nibbled on them. “I haven’t changed my mind,” she assured him, her body still floating. “And you know that Bruce gave me the shot. My blood tests all came back clean, so you don’t have to worry about catching anything. I can go and get them…”

He leaned up and pressed his fingers over her lips; her anxiety was rising. “Shhh,” he whispered, leaning down to kiss her. Steve worked to take off his jeans, not wanting to leave the bed to undress, worried she might take it as a rejection. He felt her hands run over his skin once he was nude, soft, needy sounds working their way out of her throat.

Settling over her body, Steve propped himself up on one of his arms, so he wasn’t smothering her, and ran his other hand over her skin. He wanted to reassure her but smiled as Jamie wrapped her legs over his hips, and he rubbed his nose along hers. “Stop me if I hurt you,” he murmured against her lips.

Jamie studied his eyes from inches away and nodded, her breath panting as she whispered, “I promise.” With one of her hands wrapped around his neck and into his hair, the other rested on his lower back. He turned his head and kissed the inside of her wrist as she felt him slowly enter, and Jamie was glad he had spent time prepping her; the alpha was larger than the men she had been with, and it had been years.

A soft gasp escaped her once their hips met, and Steve paused to stare down. Jamie’s eyes were closed, and her body shivered. Stroking her face, he whispered, “Talk to me, sweetheart. Please.”

“I… I’m okay,” she whispered, nodding. Licking her lips, she opened her eyes to see him studying her face closely, concern etched into his features. Jamie drew him down to her lips, kissing him deeply. When his hand came up to touch her cheek, she guided it back to the side of her head and felt him draw back to study her. “I know you’re trying not to touch me there when we kiss, I understand, but I _know_ it’s you. I can smell you; I can feel you. It’s okay.”

Steve stared down into her eyes, then wove his fingers into her hair and returned to the kiss, deepening it and listening to her moan. Jamie’s hips arched higher into him, making him grind into her. He moved his knees closer to her hips and hooked the arm that was supporting him under her one leg, shifting her angle higher for his next thrust, which he kept slow and with a twist at the end. A soft keening sound started sounding deep in Jamie’s chest the more he moved, and she pulled on his hair with one hand, the nails of her other hand slowly digging into his back. Steve shifted and nuzzled her neck, along her glands, nipping at her shoulders, and after adjusting his hips slightly, her body tightened. “Right there,” he growled in satisfaction.

“Please,” she whispered against his skin; her face buried against his shoulder. Wordless sounds escaped her as he increased his pace, and Jamie bit Steve’s shoulder as her orgasm broke.

He continued to move, letting her ride it out before he paused to kiss her gently, allowing her to settle. “Jamie?”

Licking her lips, she tasted blood and pulled back to see that she had broken the skin on Steve’s shoulder. “I’m sorry,” she said softly, her eyes wide. He chuckled, and since he was still buried inside of her, the sensation made her shudder.

Steve watched her then bent down to kiss her cheek gently. “I wasn’t complaining, sweetheart,” he assured, his voice deep.

She flushed at the sound, but before Jamie could reply, he pulled back to thrust forward again, making her bury her head back into the pillow. She panted when Steve went back to the grinding thrusts he had been doing before, each time pressing into her clit with his pubic bone, and Jamie whined. She could feel his knot starting to form, and Jamie drew his mouth back up from where he sucked along her neck. “Steve?” she whispered, her voice tight; her body was coiling again, and she could feel the sheen of sweat on his skin as he fought to keep control.

He slowed, moving to stare down at her and hovered just over her lips, pressing a soft kiss and drew back. “Tell me.”

Jamie groaned at the dark growl in his tone, and she shuddered. “Knot me,” she replied, her voice breathy. He paused and she whined, her body straining as she arched her hips and tried to continue riding him without his body moving. “Steve, please!”

“Are you sure?” he murmured, smiling at her reaction.

“ _Yes_ ,” she cried, still trying to make him move.

Steve grinned and kissed her deeply when his next thrust was harder, and he ate the cry of surprise. He pulled back to check, but she nodded, and he continued riding her harder. One hand reached between them to stroke her, while his knot grew. Steve was determined she would come again and knew she was close.

Jamie felt the first ripple course through her, and Steve gave one hard thrust; she had felt his knot pressing against her, but just as she started to come, he lodged himself deep inside. The sensation made her cry out as she locked around him. He continued to move, his hips rutting shallowly until he cried out harshly, and Jamie felt his entire body shudder around her.

His one arm caged her in as Steve kissed her deeply, tenderly, and his knees were up near her hips; her entire body felt boxed in. But Jamie had never felt safer in her life as he continued to stroke her clit until she grabbed his hand, her body too sensitive to continue.

Steve laced their fingers and brought their hands up to rest next to her head as he finally pulled away from her lips. “Are you all right?” he murmured. She panted, her body still shivering, but she nodded. Steve studied her closely, pressed his lips against her forehead, and asked, “Am I hurting you?”

“No,” she assured, closing her eyes and nuzzling against his chin. Jamie smiled as he moved to lean his cheek against hers and she hummed contentedly as his free hand came to smooth along her side.

“I’m going to move us,” he whispered into her ear, placing soft kisses along her skin. “Just so that you’re laying on top of me, okay?” When she nodded, Steve wrapped his arms around her and slowly rolled them, listening to her sharp gasp. Steve cupped her cheek as he felt her shift her hips, a small frown on her face, and he asked, “What is it?”

“I…” Jamie tried to adjust how she was laying, her hands tightening where they gripped his shoulders. “Ugh, it aches…”

“Let me see if I can help,” he replied with a grin. Stealing her lips in a kiss, Steve reached between them to stroke her clit, still sensitive from her earlier orgasms. Jamie gasped into his mouth, and he wrapped one arm around her hips to hold her captive as he felt her quickly begin to fall apart.

Jamie cried out against him, her nails digging in as he brought her again; the pain washed away in the rush of endorphins. She turned away from his lips to catch her breath, blushing as she realized just how many times he had brought her; she was embarrassed he seemed to know her body better than she did. Steve nibbled along her jaw and down her neck.

“Better?” he asked with a grin.

“Shut up, you know it is,” she replied, slapping his chest with a laugh.

Steve grinned up at her, stroking his hands over her back, her hips, along her thighs where they rested on either side of his knees. He watched her cuddle in against his shoulder, one of her hands curled against his side, the other ran over his chest, running through the small covering of short chest hair he had. Pressing his lips to her forehead let out a soft sigh and smiled as he watched her eyes slowly close. “Tired, sweetheart?”

“I think you wore me out,” she replied, grinning even as her voice dragged.

“Hmm. I guess I won’t try as hard next time,” he replied with a grin.

Jamie opened her eyes to a slit and glared up at him. “Yeah, because you only ever do things half-assed,” she muttered. His knot eased enough that Steve pulled from her, making Jamie shiver.

Steve, now that he could move without fear of hurting her, reached over to grab the blankets for the bed and pulled them up over the couple. He listened to Jamie let out a contented sigh and knew she was half asleep already as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Once he knew she was deeply asleep, he allowed himself to relax and drifted off himself.

*****


	16. Chapter 16

Jamie woke the next morning, found Steve had curled up against her back, and she stretched with a groan. She felt the arm around her waist tighten as lips pressed against the back of her head before Steve raised to kiss her temple and nuzzle her head. “Morning,” she greeted with a smile.

“How are you feeling?” he asked gently.

“I slept like the dead,” she replied softly, turning her face and resting her forehead against his chin. “You’re so warm.”

“I noticed you kept cuddling back against me,” Steve said with a grin as she rolled to face him, stroking his fingers down her cheek. “What would you like to do today?”

“The first thing I want is to soak in a bath,” she replied, grinning.

Steve chuckled and shook his head. “You have a thing for soaking in the tub, don’t you?” he asked, watching as her face sobered. “What is it?”

Chewing her bottom lip, Jamie burrowed into his chest and sighed. “I… The last few years, I couldn’t really have baths,” she admitted softly. She heard him groan and glanced up to watch him rub a hand over his face in frustration, covering his eyes. Her smile was gentle; she knew he had just realized what he'd said. “It’s okay, Steve; it’s not something you’d think of.”

“I still feel like an idiot,” he muttered.

“Hey,” she said, grabbing his hand from his face and making him look at her. “You’re _not_ an idiot. It’s something you don’t think about, until you don’t have it, believe me.” Jamie traced her finger over his lips and flushed as she asked, “Want to join me?”

Steve traced his tongue over the pad of her finger and watched as her face darkened further, grinning. “I’ll go run the water,” he said with a laugh, pressing a kiss to her lips before he got out of the bed.

Jamie chewed her cheek and watched him go before she heard her cell phone vibrate on the nightstand. Leaning over she checked it, smiling slightly when she saw it was a message from Bucky.

**~ Good morning, princess. ~**

_~~ Hey, Bucky. How are things going there? ~~_

**~ Good. Should be home tomorrow. Did I wake you? ~**

_~~ No, was just getting up. Slowly. Would rather go back to sleep. ~~_

**~ Lol. You can always nap later. I know Steve has the day off. Take a lazy day, watch movies. ~**

_~~ I think that’s the plan. ~~_ Jamie grinned and let out a long sigh. _~~ I miss you. ~~_ As soon as she pressed send, a flash of guilt tore through her; she couldn’t believe she was missing the other alpha, after she had spent the night in Steve’s arms.

**~ Miss you too, princess. I’ll be home tomorrow. See you then. ~**

She set her phone aside and let out another sigh, chewing her cheek. 

Steve found her frowning heavily, the scent of her anxiety heavy in the air, and he moved to lean over the bed when she didn’t look up. Kissing her forehead, he watched her smile at him, and he stroked her hair. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

Jamie forced a smile and shook her head. “Nothing,” she whispered, staring into his eyes.

Steve knew she wasn’t telling him everything, but returned her smile and lifted her, carrying her to the bathroom to sink into the water. A contented sigh escaped her as Jamie shifted to lean back against his chest, leaning her forehead to rest against his neck. Running his hands down her arms, Steve delicately ran his fingers over the healing marks near her wrists, leaning down to kiss where her neck met her shoulder, feeling her shiver.

“What do you want to do today?” he asked, voice a murmur against her skin.

“Lazy day,” Jamie muttered back, feeling the hot water soothe her aches; muscles she had no idea existed ached after last night with Steve. He pressed kisses along her shoulder, his lips dragging as he moved, nipping the nape of her neck. She leaned back and felt him hard, pressed against her back; the realization made her shiver as she clenched. The sensation made her groan slightly as her body ached, her hands reaching under the water to grip his thighs, her nails digging into his skin slightly.

Steve paused, burying his nose into her neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist. “If you’re uncomfortable, or just don’t feel like it, we don’t have to do anything, Jamie,” he assured her. She shifted her hips against him and glanced at him over her shoulder; he read the doubt in her eyes, and Steve reached up to tilt her face so he could kiss her gently. “It’s _your_ body, sweetheart. You tell me no, then it’s no. I’ll be just as happy to sit in this bath and cuddle you if that’s what you want.”

A tightness in her chest eased, and Jamie reached up to stroke his cheek with one hand as she studied his eyes closely. Holding the side of the tub she lifted in the water and adjusted the angle of her hips until she felt him at her entrance and slowly sank down until their hips met. She shuddered, the water rippling around them as he stole the groan from her lips and held her close.

Jamie arched her hips forward and began slowly rocking, soft whimpers crawling from her chest. Steve moved one hand down to hold her lower belly, pressing against her gently as he helped guide her movements. His other arm reached up to stroke her breasts as he broke away from her mouth to suck on her neck, nipping along her skin. He moved the hand on her stomach lower, gently tracing her clit and listening to her gasp. Steve pressed his lips to her ear and whispered, “Come for me, sweetheart.”

She called out his name and dug her nails into his forearms, burying her head back against his shoulder. Jamie felt him thrust into her a few more times before he growled against her neck, the sound sending shivers down her spine. She felt his hands soothe along her skin before he reached down to lift her off him, sliding free from her body as she hissed slightly.

Steve turned her until she sat across his lap, gathered in his arms, and tilted her face up. “Did I hurt you, Jamie?” he asked in concern.

Licking her lips, she shook her head before she turned her face into his hand. “I just… Muscles I forgot I had got used last night,” she replied shyly, watching as he studied her closely. “I ache, but… It’s not bad. I promise.”

He smiled gently at the embarrassment that coloured her face, drawing her in and pressing a soft kiss to her lips. “Then today will _definitely_ be a lazy day,” he agreed, going back to their earlier conversation, listening to her giggle in response.

She relaxed into his arms, but when he reached for a cloth and her body wash, Jamie went to take them from Steve. He held them out of reach with his long arms and grinned at her, shaking his head. “I can do it,” she protested softly.

“But I want to,” he replied. He adjusted her so that she was laying with her back against his chest again and lathered the washcloth and began to gently clean her. Steve felt her body relax against him, her scent going soft and sweet; something he noticed was becoming closer to her normal state now.

After they dressed and ate, the pair curled onto the couch and Jamie picked The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to watch, making Steve chuckle; he remembered her loving it when they were younger. She curled into his side and after several episodes dozed off when his phone buzzed.

**~ Lunch break. How’re things going? ~**

Steve took a picture of Jamie curled up against his chest and sent it to the other alpha, a grin on his face. _~~ Took her shopping yesterday with Sam and Wanda for more clothes. She still ended up grabbing your sweater to wear today! Lol ~~_

**~ Isn’t that the one you stole last week? ~**

_~~ Yeah. I think she thinks it’s mine. ~~_

**~ Everything went okay yesterday with shopping? ~**

_~~ Took her to Loki’s. Nervous, but she did okay. Had dinner at Phil’s. ~~_ Steve smiled down at her as Jamie let out a sigh and snuggled closer to him. He placed a kiss on the top of her head and hugged her closer. _~~ Things…happened last night. But I think she feels guilty. ~~_

**~ Yeah. We need to spell it out for her when I get home tomorrow. ~**

Steve chuckled softly and nodded to himself. _~~ Yeah, we’ll worry about it then. ~~_

**~ Alright, I’m headed back. Call if anything happens or you need me home. ~**

_~~ Will do. Take care, Buck. ~~_

He set his phone aside and stared down at the woman in his arms; Steve was happy she had come such a long way since Bucky had found her on the street a few months ago. Jamie was physically healthy now, which the men were thankful for, and with Clint, the omega had made amazing strides mentally.

Jamie woke from her nap and stretched, burying her nose against Steve’s chest and inhaling deeply. She looked up to see him with a lazy smile and he buried his nose into her hair.

The couple watched television, went for another walk, and put on a movie after dinner. After the seriousness of the day before, Jamie was thankful they were able to just be with one another. She burrowed into her stolen sweater and glanced outside as it grew dark, and she darted glances up at the alpha.

He caught her looking and smiled gently and kissed her forehead. “I’m not expecting anything, sweetheart,” he promised her. “You’re tender, and I don’t want to hurt you.”

Jamie blushed, ducking her head and listening to him chuckle slightly. “You won’t leave me alone, though?” she questioned, her voice nearly a whisper.

“Never again,” he promised. “Not unless it’s what you want.”

Licking her lips, she nodded. “I’m going to change into pyjamas, but… Can we watch something in your room? Settle in there?”

Steve had a television mounted on his wall, and nodded easily. “I’ll meet you there.” He made certain the house was locked up and changed, then crawled into bed. Grabbing the remote, he turned as he heard her come in, and grinned to see she was still wearing the sweater and wondered if she could smell Bucky underneath his own scent.

Pulling back the covers, he pulled her in when she cuddled against his side and asked, “Fresh Prince, still?” Jamie nodded, and Steve cued the next episode, letting the show play until she dozed off.

*****

Jamie woke the next morning with a frown, opening her eyes and glancing around while she wondered what had woken her. Then she heard Bucky’s voice at the door of the bedroom and realized he and Steve were talking softly; the rumble of the alpha behind her must have been enough to rouse her from sleep.

“I don’t want to wake her, so I’ll go,” Bucky said.

“Too late,” Jamie murmured with a smile, stretching.

Barnes walked further into the room so he could sit on the edge of the bed and smiled at her. “Sorry, princess. I didn’t mean to wake you up,” he murmured.

“S’okay,” she replied with a yawn. “You look tired. And it's early… Everything go okay on the trip?”

Bucky smiled and stroked some of the hair off her forehead. “Yeah, was just long.”

Steve tugged the blankets down slightly in offer, and Barnes stood to pull his shirt and jeans off, crawling under the blankets in his boxers. Jamie frowned back at Steve who kissed her shoulder and murmured, “Be right back, sweetheart.”

She nodded as he made his way to the bathroom and shuffled forward to curl into the other alpha’s chest, her eyes drooping closed while she absorbed the heat of his body. Bucky stroked a hand down her back and pressed his lips against her forehead. “How were the last few days?”

Her eyes opened and she felt her face flush. “Good,” she whispered, ducking her head.

He chuckled and reached down to tilt her face up so he could study her face, running his fingers over her burning cheek. “Why are you embarrassed, princess?”

“Isn’t this…weird?” she asked with a frown. “I mean…” Jamie sighed and tried to search his eyes, as if she could find answers in his gentle gaze. “You both know I’m attracted to you. And neither of you seem bothered when I go to the other one. I’m guessing you can tell, just by scent, that I’ve been with Steve, but you still crawled into bed. Hell, he didn’t mind you joining, and I just…”

“Take a deep breath,” Bucky said softly, putting a finger over her lips to when her breathing became uneven. “Jamie, after my last mission, I… It took a long time before I would let anyone near me, really. We already knew Clint; he and Nat had been together for a few years by then and already had the house down the block. By the time I got out of the hospital, then the rehab facility to get my arm working, Steve had managed to get his retirement processed. He had talked me into buying this place, but I was a wreck.”

“You’d been through a nightmare, Buck,” Steve corrected as he came back to join them in bed, spooning himself against Jamie’s back.

Bucky watched her swallow as she glanced between the men and realization settled in. “Princess, when I first started to settle in, with a lot of work with Clint, the only person I would let touch me was Steve,” he admitted, his voice soft as he spoke against her forehead.

“We had been together when we were younger,” Steve murmured against her back, feeling the surprise from her as she stiffened. “But after what he had been through, he needed time to trust people to be close again, and for his skin to fully heal and not to be as sensitive.”

“We spent a lot of nights curled up in that back sunroom sleeping,” Bucky said with a soft chuckle. She shifted onto her back slightly so she could stare between the two men, frowning. “What’s wrong?”

Licking her lips, Jamie asked, “You… You said you’ve been together, so… You’ve shared an omega before?”

Steve’s smile was gentle as he stroked her face. “No, sweetheart,” he replied softly. “Why do you think neither of us are bothered with the other man’s scent on you?”

Bucky nuzzled her neck with a grin when she squirmed. “He and I will always love one another,” he agreed. “But something was always missing; it’s why we never worked as a couple.” He pulled back and saw the frown on her face.

“Jamie,” Steve said firmly, touching her chin to draw her eyes to meet his. “You’ve said you want us, and I know you’re struggling with it. But we’re trying to tell you; you don’t have to choose. You can have us both, and we’re more than happy to share you if that’s what you want. But the choice is always yours.”

Barnes nodded; his expression soft. “Neither of us will push you for a decision that you’re not ready for; we know you’ve been through so much,” he agreed. “Take your time, Jamie. We’re not going anywhere.”


	17. Chapter 17

Friday morning while the trio was getting ready to leave, Steve got a phone call from his insurance; he moved to the home office to speak. Bucky sat next to Jamie drinking his coffee while she finished eating, and reached a hand out to her on the counter. When she took it, he smiled at her. “Everyone at the shop likes you,” he told her, chuckling as she ducked her head. “Shuri was asking how things were going while we were on the trip.”

“She’s nice,” Jamie said with a smile. “Steve and I were out for a walk and saw Pietro and his dog. She’s adorable.”

Bucky laughed and nodded. “Big ball of fluff,” he agreed. “Steve and I have dog-sat for him before when he’s gone out of town and Wanda needed to work; she’s an amazing running partner.”

“When he could convince her to run, I noticed that.”

“She likes to argue, I’ll give you that. You should see Fina when she wants something and you tell her no,” Barnes said with a groan, letting go of his mug and running his hand over his beard. “Stubborn brat!”

Jamie laughed, shaking her head. She looked up as Steve walked out with a heavy frown on his face. “What’s wrong?”

“Looks like I need to go car shopping this weekend,” he replied with a sigh, running a hand through his hair.

Bucky sighed and nodded. “I wondered,” he admitted. “We originally started work, but they had us stop. The frame was damaged, and when we got into it, guts would need so many parts and new pieces… I didn’t think the insurance would want to replace that much of it; wasn’t worth it for them.” Sitting back he finished his coffee while he thought. “I’ll call Erik today, see what he’s got around the lot; guessing you want to go similar, but upgrade?”

Steve nodded. “SUV,” he agreed. “Need something to carry the three of us comfortably, so no pickups. Selvig should be able to find something to fit, I’m hoping; he's usually good at tracking something down. And if we can come to check out tomorrow, that would be perfect. Unless he has to go to another dealership or from the manufacturer and we have to wait.”

Jamie watched the men speak, but stayed silent, knowing she really had no input. Which was why she was surprised when Steve leaned down and asked, “Your favourite colour is still blue, right?” She glanced up at him and nodded slowly, making him smile, and he said, “Then I think the colour choice is made.”

“But…”

Bucky chuckled at her confusion, which drew her attention. When she turned to him, he kissed her and said, “It’s okay, princess. I promise. Now, I’m going to finish getting ready for work.”

Jamie stood and nodded, chewing her lip as she said, “Me too.” 

In her room, she pulled on a pair of blue and black plaid leggings that Wanda had picked out for her, as well as a long black sweater that reached her mid-thigh. Her hair was curling now that she had been taking care of it, brushing her shoulders. Her mind went over what the men had said about picking the colour of the truck and frowned slightly; it was hard to come to terms that they were planning their lives around her, even if it was in small ways. She rejoined the men and they headed out. As she always did, Jamie rode in the back until they dropped Steve off at work, where she moved to the front seat. When she got out and moved to the front, he held the door for her, but before she could sit, he wrapped an arm around her waist.

“I know you’re still trying to sort through things, sweetheart,” he murmured softly against her cheek; the alphas had noticed her stewing. “Just remember something for me, okay?”

Jamie swallowed hard as his scent filled her. “What’s that?” she whispered.

Steve drew far enough back that he could gaze down into her eyes as he smiled gently. “We’re both okay with this, and with whatever you want or need from either of us,” he assured her before he kissed her. She sighed against his lips and relaxed into him before he drew back with a smile and stroked her face. “I’ll see you after work tonight.”

“Okay,” she agreed, her voice hoarse before she sat down in the car.

Closing the door to the truck, Steve winked at Jamie before he waved at the pair and they drove off. As usual, Bucky was the first one in; as the boss, he was always early so he could start the equipment that needed time to warm up, finish any paperwork that needed to be completed. Finding a note on his desk, Bucky chuckled and headed out to one of the cars in its bay to investigate what was wrong.

Jamie frowned in response, he usually didn’t go out to look at any of the cars until the rest of the staff arrived, and followed him out. There, she found the hood up, and Bucky leaned far over and gazing at the engine. His hands braced on the sides, and he stared deep into the bowels of the beast. Bucky had his legs braced on the corner of the vehicle, a beautiful old Camaro, and his jeans were tight across his thighs. Jamie watched as he reached further over his head and his shirt raised, baring the line where his boxers sat just above his pants, and the skin above it across his back. She swallowed and felt heat pool low in her body, a reaction she had not expected, and with her face flaming she fled back to the office.

Bucky had turned when he noticed the change in her scent, only to watch as Jamie disappeared. He stopped at the sink at the floor of the shop to wash up before he followed her, to find her in the office’s private bathroom, leaning against the sink, her face hidden behind her hands. Her body stilled, and he knew she was fully aware of his presence. He moved to place his hands on the counter on either side of her, watching her face in the mirror as she lowered her hands enough to meet his gaze in the glass. “What’s wrong, princess?”

A shiver ran through her as the low growl in his voice crept down her spine. Jamie hugged herself as she felt her body tighten at his nearness, her mind remembering the conversation the men had gone over with her. She studied his eyes in the mirror before she turned and laid her hands on his chest, running them over the muscles she could feel under the t-shirt. She knew he could smell her arousal, was embarrassed by how badly just the image of his muscles bunched under his clothes and a hint of skin had turned her on; _and_ the fact that he knew it.

He ran his hands under her thighs and lifted her to sit on the counter so their heights were even, hovering over her mouth. Bucky grinned as she used her calves to pull him to stand between her knees, despite her blush, and whimpered softly. Running his thumb over her cheek, he murmured, “Do you want me to help you before I have to work?”

“I… We shouldn’t; not here,” she whispered, licking her lips; he was close enough she touched his mouth too.

He smiled gently and pressed a kiss to her, sucking on her upper lip briefly before he drew back and shook his head. “Not that,” he promised. “ _That_ will be in a bed, I promise. But I can make it so you’re not uncomfortable all day.”

Jamie watched him study her face patiently, waiting for permission, and when she nodded, his mouth took control of hers again. He ate the gasp that tore from her throat, his one hand moving from her face to hold the back of her neck while he pulled back with a cautious expression; but she nodded. Bucky’s lips moved down her jaw while his other hand trailed up the inside of her thigh and up until he reached the elastic of her leggings. She angled her body to encourage him, one hand threading into his hair, the other gripping his shoulder as he slid his hand down to stroke her.

Bucky felt the wetness as soon as his fingers stroked along her and felt her stiffen slightly, part of him wondered if doing this here, in the bathroom, was a mistake. _How many times has she been in a place like this in her former life?_ he wondered. Looking up, he rested his forehead against hers and whispered, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Jamie murmured, curling her fingers into the hair at the back of his neck. She stared into his eyes and drew him in to her lips again as she relaxed into his arms. “I’m okay.” She watched him study her closely, looking to make certain before he returned her kiss and his fingers resumed between her legs. His thumb circled her clit while two of his fingers stroked deeply inside.

He felt her breathing deepen and Bucky grinned as she drew back to gasp. He kissed his way to her ear to ask, “Can I taste you?” A deep groan worked its way from her throat and her body tightened around his fingers, which made him chuckle.

Bucky drew back enough to kiss her deeply then knelt, pulling down her leggings and underwear before he pressed a kiss above her mound and stared up at her. Jamie sat on the edge of the counter, her hands braced on the porcelain, as he slipped his tongue deep inside her. She shivered as he lapped, licking as far as he could, pulling her taste from far within her, holding her thighs when they tried to tighten on his cheeks.

Jamie whined as he scraped his teeth over her clit before licking around it softly, drawing it out. He easily slid two fingers back inside, coaxing her g-spot as he started to teasingly lick around her clit, chuckling as her hips started riding his hand. She fell further back onto her one hand, the other grabbing his hair as she pulled him closer.

He listened to her breathing change to short pants as he locked around her nub, growling and letting the vibrations run through her body as he rubbed deep inside. Her body shuddered hard around him and Jamie’s hand reached up to clamp over her mouth, muffling her cries. She panted, soft sounds still coming from her chest as Bucky rose, but his fingers still worked her slowly.

“Bucky, please,” she whispered, her hips arching.

“You’ve got another one right there, don’t you, princess?” he murmured against her lips. When she nodded, he began circling his thumb around her clit slowly, barely brushing it over the tip, then back to circling. Bucky watched her frown, a drawn-out moan working from her throat as he kissed her gently; his hand cupped the back of her head again. Working in a third finger, he felt her shudder, and asked, “Yes?”

“Yesss,” she hissed, her hips widening further.

His thumb abandoned her clit while the three fingers began to work into her in short, fast, and deep thrusts. Jamie’s head would have fallen back if he hadn’t held her. Her breathing grew ragged and she pulled her knees up as she felt the next wave started. She drew in a deep breath, and Bucky covered her mouth when she would have screamed; his hand was soaked as he continued to thrust, making Jamie squirt. She dug her nails into his neck until she finally took his wrist to stop him, pulling back and panting hard. She dragged in deep breaths, leaning back against the mirror, dazed for several seconds until she blinked at Bucky.

The hand that had been in her hair cupped her cheek and he stroked her jaw with his thumb. “Are you all right?” he asked softly.

Jamie licked her lips and nodded, swallowing hard. “I’m okay,” she replied, voice hoarse. She coughed slightly and listened to him chuckle.

He washed his hands quickly in the sink and he pressed a kiss to her lips. “I’ll be right back,” he murmured and took two steps into his office and returned, closing the door behind him. Bucky handed her a bottle of water and kept one for himself, but left it on the counter as he moved over to a cupboard and returned with a washcloth and towel. Wetting it down, he moved back to stand between her legs and leaned over to kiss her, gently running the washcloth between her legs, rinsing it, and continued to wash her gently. Bucky watched her flush at the intimacy, then set the cloth aside and dried her, continuing to kiss and caress her, before he helped her redress.

“I could have done that,” she whispered.

He nodded and smiled as he stood after fixing her leggings and pressed another kiss softly on her lips. “I know,” he agreed. “But I wanted to.”

Back in the office, Jamie made herself a coffee and curled up on the couch with the tablet while Bucky finished the paperwork that had been left for him. People eventually started to trickle in, and when Pietro arrived, he knocked on the door with a frown. As Bucky looked up, a disgruntled growl greeted him.

“Seraphina!” Jamie greeted as the dog walked over to slump her head onto the omega’s lap with a ' _harrumph_ ' sound.

“Hey, Bossman,” Pietro greeted, frowning slightly.

“Why is she wearing a post-surgical suit?” Bucky asked in concern. “What happened?”

Pietro sighed and sat in a chair across from his desk. “Just after we saw Steve and Jamie in the park the other day, we ran into this woman who had about seven dogs, none of which were under control. I called Fina back to me and leashed her like I always do, but she didn’t have leashes for any of hers. One of the damned things bit Fina and wouldn’t let go; right on the belly. When she turned to try and get the rat off, it shook and tore a chunk off.” Pietro’s jaw was tight, and the dog whined in response to him. “It’s okay, girl,” he soothed, smiling slightly to ease the animal's distress.

“I’m guessing she doesn’t do well in collars?” Jamie asked with a grin, comforting the dog by rubbing her ears.

The beta grinned and ran his hands through his silver-white hair. “The little minx can genie her way out of any of them,” he revealed. “But, she doesn’t seem to mind the suits, and it keeps her from going at the stitches. Do you mind if she keeps you company today, Jamie? Usually, she’s out on the floor with us, but she kept pacing yesterday, and I’d rather she take it easy.”

“It’s fine by me,” she agreed with an easy nod. “I can make sure you relax, Fina. Yes, I can.”

Bucky chuckled as she ruffled the dog’s ears and pushed to his feet, Pietro joining him. “I’m going to head onto the floor. Yell if you need anything.”

“I promise,” she agreed. The couch was low enough that the husky was able to step onto it so that she could flop on her side across Jamie’s legs. The omega smiled and stroked the dog’s head with one hand as she went back to her game on the tablet.

The day passed quietly; Jamie took Seraphina out for walks when she needed them, joined the staff for lunch in the break room. Rather than sitting in the customer’s lounge, because of wanting to keep the dog calm and having seen what Fina was like around people, Jamie stayed in the office for the day.

She knew the day was winding, most of the customers had picked up their daily drop-offs. Jamie had just come back to the office, leaving the door open behind her, when she heard a car pull up to the front of the garage. Bucky’s office was situated close to the front, and with a glance at the clock, she snorted. _There’s always one last-minute person, isn’t there?_ she thought to herself. Then she heard the owner’s voice, and her body turned cold.

Jamie stared around the office, searching for a place to hide, but even Bucky’s desk wasn’t closed in the front. She settled for the corner next to the couch and made herself as small as possible, her eyes trained on the door while she waited.

Carol walked in cautiously; the scent of terror drew her to investigate. The husky’s warning growl warned the other woman to stay back as the dog placed herself in front of Jamie, and the alpha put out her hands. “Jamie, I’m going to get Bucky, okay?” she murmured softly.

“Please,” she begged hoarsely. “Just… Just him. Alone.”

The alpha’s eyes widened. Though the staff knew very little of Jamie’s past, those words were enough of an indication; the newcomer had triggered this reaction. “He’ll be right here, I promise. _Just_ him.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the longer times between chapters right now. I'm in the process of trying to get ready to move - between provinces. Jamie is nearly complete, and I am working on finishing her before July 1st (moving day), but I'm not certain if that will happen. Please don't hate me if it doesn't!! She will be finished, I promise.

Bucky watched the newer Cadillac pull in and recognized the man who climbed out. He moved to greet the older man and nodded at the vehicle. “What seems to be the problem, Mr. Pierce?”

“The check engine light came on,” the older man replied with a shake of his head and patting Bucky’s shoulder. “I was in town for meetings when it appeared. Thought it best to come to have it checked before I drove back home.”

Barnes fought the frown of the older alpha’s familiarity with him; though Pierce had come in for service on his car a few times, there was an arrogance about the man that he would touch Bucky. He drew back a few feet and glanced back when he heard someone approaching.

Carol’s face was stony as she walked out to the front of the shop to stand next to Barnes, her arms crossed. He glanced at her with a small frown; her demeanour wasn’t usually so aggressive. “You’re needed in the office, Buck,” she said darkly. “I’ll handle things out here.”

His eyes narrowed and he studied her curiously, then he caught a hint of Jamie’s scent off Carol’s skin; the abject fear had to have been thick in the office to stick so readily to the female alpha. Bucky turned back to stare at the man in front of him in a new light. He was wealthy, older, arrogant… And walked with a cane from an injury in his upper leg. Barnes’ entire body tightened as fury rushed through him.

“Buck, go,” Carol murmured, looking at him. “I got this.” As she spoke, Sam came out of the back to join her, his arms crossed and a glower on his face.

Bucky turned without a word and rushed to his office, pausing at the door; Pietro leaned against the frame. “I didn’t want to leave her alone,” the beta explained softly. “Fina, c’mon.”

The alpha watched as the dog turned and gave Jamie a soft nudge, then turned and followed Pietro out, and closed the door behind them. Bucky crept closer and knelt next to her, reaching out. “Jamie?”

She moved to hug him, then jerked back with a whimper, cringing. “You smell like him…”

Bucky grimaced, knew the brief time Pierce had touched his shoulder had been enough, and yanked off his shirt, tossing it across the room. “I won’t touch you if you don’t want me to, princess,” he assured her.

Jamie stared at him and swallowed hard, biting her lip. Bile burned her throat and she used the wall to push to her feet and covered her cheeks with her hands. “I don’t know,” she whispered, even as she stepped into his chest and ducked her head to tuck under his chin.

He wrapped his arms around her carefully, felt her shiver as she burrowed into his body. A whine crawled from her throat and Bucky tightened his arms. “Shhh, I’ve got you,” he assured her.

She dug her nails into the bare skin of his chest, the scent of another alpha at the door making her cringe slightly until she realized it was Carol. She glanced over slightly, to see the blonde smiling gently.

“He’s gone,” she promised. “And told he’s not welcome back.”

Bucky let out a relieved sigh, nodding at her. “Thanks, Carol.” Tilting Jamie’s face up, he searched her eyes and said, “I’m just going to run to the truck and grab a spare shirt. Will you be okay for a minute?”

The omega nodded, hugging herself. “Yeah, it’s okay,” she whispered. She leaned into him when Bucky pressed his lips against her forehead, then headed outside. The walls seemed to close-in the longer Jamie stayed standing still. After a few tense minutes, she wandered out of the office. She was going to meet Bucky by the truck, but she overheard him and Carol talking, and paused when she heard him swearing.

“ _Fuck_ , you’re kidding?” Barnes growled.

“I wish I was,” Carol replied with a sigh.

Jamie made certain she was standing out of sight, knew she shouldn’t be listening but that it involved her. She peeked around the corner and saw the clench of Bucky’s jaw, his hands on his hips, and shivered as the wind blew his scent into the open garage door; fury radiated off him.

“Tell me _exactly_ what he said.”

Danvers took a deep breath, bracing herself, and growled. “Pierce caught Jamie’s scent on me, or on you when you moved to come back inside; I’m honestly not sure which,” she started. “And he said, _so this is where the little slut disappeared to. Good to know._ ”

“ _Fuck_!”

The blood rushed through Jamie’s ears until she couldn’t hear anything else as she pulled back and leaned on the wall. Of all of the men who had repeatedly come back to see her, Pierce had terrified her the most. There was a darkness to him that had made her blood run cold, but until he had held her in a vice-grip and tried to force his knot into her mouth, Jamie had been desperate enough to take his money. Even after he had healed, she had watched his car come cruising the alleys, and she just knew he had been looking for her.

She could feel her body shivering, her teeth chattering, as she started to stumble down the hallway towards the back of the garage. Jamie burst out the emergency exit at the side of the building, which spilled out into a parking lot, and sucked in a deep breath which burned her lungs. Her eyes darted around wildly, but she knew that simply because she did not see Pierce’s car, did not mean he wasn’t nearby. The idea forced her mind white in panic; she ran.

Darting down the road, away from the shop, Jamie could barely breathe. She crossed the sidestreet past the parking lot, not hearing the squealing of tires as a minivan swerved to avoid her. A horn blared but her heart thundered in her chest and she heard none of it. Until someone called her name.

“Jamie! _Jamie, stop_!”

A terrified whimper crawled out of her chest, and when she heard footsteps behind her, she darted to the left; straight into the main street. Another horn blasted, cutting through her hysteria. Jamie turned to see an SUV braking as it headed straight for her; she was frozen in place for what seemed like an eternity as she watched it bearing down on her before she was tackled.

Steve leapt and grabbed Jamie, tumbling for the grassy boulevard, turning as he moved so that he hit the ground first to take the worst of the impact. The air was knocked out of him with a grunt, but he kept his arms around her while they barrel-rolled a few feet. He sat up quickly, her still in his embrace, her while Jamie’s eyes stared around; wide and panic-stricken.

“Sweetheart, look at me,” he murmured, one hand reaching up to cup her face. Sam, as soon as Carol had dealt with Pierce, rushed over to the gym to get the alpha. They had been on their way back to the garage when they watched Jamie nearly get hit by the minivan. Steve had immediately leapt out of the car and started to approach, but in her state, she was lost as to what was happening around her. He searched her glassy eyes while her rapid breaths wheezed in her throat. “Jamie?” Throwing her arms around his neck, she buried her head against him and sobbed. “I’m going to stand us up, and we’re going to go back to the garage, okay?” She stiffened, and Steve shushed her gently. “Just to get Buck, then we’ll go, okay?”

When she nodded, he pushed to his feet, holding her against his chest. Steve noticed Sam had been speaking with the driver of the vehicle who had nearly hit her; the woman looked shaken. Sam waved him to go ahead, making Steve nod gratefully. Bucky met them at the corner; he had been drawn by the sound of horns and tires and had been terrified once he realized the omega had left the shop.

Barnes leaned over and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Jamie,” he whispered.

She shook her head but did not rise from where she clung. Rogers shared a glance with Bucky and mouthed a name. When Barnes nodded, the trio got in the car; Bucky drove with Steve still holding Jamie in his lap, murmuring softly the entire trip.

She felt the vehicle pull to a stop and finally sat up, but when she looked around, she realized they weren’t at home. When the back door opened, she cringed but saw Clint smiling gently at her.

“Hey, darlin,” he greeted. Reaching out his hand, the counsellor waited patiently for her to take it. “The guys thought you could use some time to decompress. But, only if you’re all right with that?” 

A shaky sigh escaped her lips before she reached out and took his hand, letting the beta help her from the car. Clint could feel how shaky she was on her feet and wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her steady then looked at the men and said, “Nat’s in the kitchen, beers are already pulled out, I think.”

Jamie let Clint lead her to the office and close the door, where her knees gave out and her breathing gave way to harsh gasps. The beta was fast, gripping her under each of her arms and supporting her, keeping her from tumbling to the ground, while he let her fall apart.*

When she could finally draw a deep breath, she stumbled away, surprised he let her go, and turned back to stare at him. “I have to go,” she whispered hoarsely. “He found me… It’s why I spent all my money to get a bus ticket here… But if he knows, I can’t stay…”

“Jamie, look at me,” Clint said firmly, his voice calm. When she met his eyes, he held out his hands and approached until he stood in front of her, waiting until she tentatively slid her hands into his. He squeezed gently, and watched as she grounded herself, drawing a deep breath, then smiled. “We won’t let anything happen to you. Steve and Bucky will not let _anything_ happen to you.”

“You don’t know that,” she whispered. Even as the words left her mouth, a stab of guilt cut through her; she knew her words were a lie.

“Do you need them in here too?” he asked, voice gentle. “Would you feel better if you could hear it from them?” When he watched her look away, Clint moved to the door and called out for the men, who quickly arrived and looked at Jamie in concern.

“Princess, I’m so sorry.” Bucky broke the silence, regret on his face. “I had no idea about him…”

She shook her head, hugging herself. “You wouldn’t have known,” she replied in a whisper. “The court wiped the names; they had money. I never said… I couldn’t.”

The men watched her shiver, and Bucky approached, catching her eyes and smiling slightly. “Can I hold you?” When she frowned in confusion, his face softened. “I told you at the shop; I won’t touch you if you don’t want me to.”

Jamie stepped into him, wrapping her arms around him and dug her nails into his back. She sank into his heat for a second, then frowned and looked up, searching for the other alpha. When she saw Steve, she reached out for him, then drew him in to stand at her back. “I’m sorry I ran,” she whispered.

“Shhh,” Steve whispered from behind her, kissing the nape of her neck.

“Jamie, we won’t let Pierce or _anyone_ else hurt you,” Bucky promised her while he ran his knuckles along her jaw. “Not ever again.”

Clint watched as she leaned into Barnes’ chin and let out an unsteady breath, then turned to glance at him. He grinned when she flushed at the realization he had witnessed their conversation. “We’ll work together more, Jamie,” he promised her. “You’re not alone in this.”

She sighed heavily and nodded. “Thank you.”

“Feel okay to go home, or do you want some more time?” Steve asked.

Jamie could tell from his tone that the decision was truly hers, and she felt truly grateful for the men’s patience with her. Licking her lips, she sighed softly. “I want to go home.” She felt Steve run his hands down her arms and back while Bucky stroked her face, and the men nodded. Looking at Clint, she licked her lips and smiled slightly. “Thank you.”

“I’ll come by tomorrow,” he promised her with a nod. “But if you need me tonight, for anything at all, call me, Jamie. And I mean that, okay?”

“I promise.”

Reaching down, Steve took one of her hands, Bucky grasped the other, and the trio headed out to the SUV to drive the short distance home.


	19. Chapter 19

Jamie clung to the men all the way home, but once inside, noticed her clothes and skin were sticky from the sweat of her panic attack. She picked at her shirt, pulled it from her skin, and shifting uncomfortably on her feet.

The men immediately noticed the change in her demeanour, and Steve nodded at the other alpha before he approached her, tucking her hair behind her ear and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I need to shower,” she muttered, shaking her head. “I just…”

He hugged her close and felt her shiver, rubbing her back. “Bucky went to rinse off,” Steve murmured, pressing a kiss to her head. He knew why she wanted to clean up; the bitter scent burned his nose, but he wasn’t going to push her away. “Do you want me to come with you?”

Jamie glanced up at him, her brow furrowed. “You wouldn’t mind?”

His smile was gentle as he cupped her face and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Of course not, sweetheart,” Steve assured her. “C’mon.”

Leading the way to her room, he urged her to pick out fresh clothes while he got the water ready for her. When she came in and set them on the counter, she was wrapped in a robe and chewing her lip. One of the men had repaired the wall; luckily it was only a few tiles that needed to be replaced where the mirror had been. Jamie stepped into him when Steve turned, wrapping her arms around him. “Will you come in with me?” she whispered. “I just… I don’t want to be alone…”

Kissing her briefly, he nodded. “Of course,” he assured her. “Get in, I’ll be right behind you.”

Jamie had just finished soaking her hair when she felt him step into the shower behind her. The space was more than large enough for the pair of them, but she still turned and curled into his chest while Steve reached for her shampoo.

He smiled slightly, washing and conditioning her hair, pleased that she let him care for her before he took a cloth and gently washed her. The room slowly filled with the scent of peppermint and eucalyptus, her bath products, along with cinnamon and honey; Jamie’s own scent when she was safe and content. It was slowly becoming common around the house, and Steve was happy that even after the events of the afternoon, she seemed able to settle.

Tilting her head up, he asked, “Ready to get out?”

“Yeah,” she agreed, smiling slightly. “Thank you.”

He placed a finger over her lips and kissed her nose. “You never have to thank us for something like this, sweetheart,” he assured her. “We’re here any time you need us. I promise.”

Jamie stepped out, leaving him to quickly wash off and turn off the water. She dried and pulled on clothes, offering him a towel as he stepped out. “I’m going to go get a drink,” she said with a smile, braiding her hair.

“I’ll join you once I’m dressed.”

She found Bucky in the kitchen, where he was studying the cupboards. He looked up with an easy smile when she entered and moved to lean into him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and rubbed a hand down her back while she asked, “What’re you doing?”

“Trying to decide what to make for dinner,” he replied. “Feel like grilled cheese and tomato soup?”

Jamie thought back to when she used to help her aunt make that when she was a teenager and the men were over, and she laughed softly, nodding. “That sounds good,” she agreed. “Want me to start the soup?”

He kissed her temple and nodded, watching as she grabbed the pot and cans of soup, then frowned as she grabbed a cutting board and went searching in the fridge. “What are you looking for?”

“Didn’t we have leftover onions from the omelette?” she asked, as she grabbed a clove of garlic and bacon.

A small grin spread across his face and he nodded. “Yeah, they’re diced up in the glass container, middle shelf,” he replied.

Jamie swiped them and set the container aside as she minced some garlic and set it aside, chopped up some bacon and added it to a pan and started it on low heat to cook, and opened the soup to begin warming it slowly. She heard Steve enter and groan at the scents of cooking bacon, garlic, and onions, and noticed Bucky making garlic butter to make the grilled cheese with as well.

“I’ll set the table,” Steve offered, taking in what was being made.

“It won’t be long before I’m all set,” Jamie agreed. She watched him get everything out and stirred in the extras to enhance the soup, letting it start to simmer while she pulled down bowls.

The trio sat to eat, and Bucky groaned. “Damn, Jamie; this is amazing! I’ve never thought of adding all three to tomato soup before,” he muttered, digging in.

“Done onions, or bacon, but never both,” Steve agreed.

“I loved watching cooking shows,” she said with a shrug, dunking her grilled cheese into the soup. “Used to make soups, stews, all that kind of stuff in the winter.”

“If you want anything, or think of anything you need and you want to cook, just add to the grocery list, sweetheart,” Steve said with a smile. “We’ll get whatever you want.”

She smiled but said nothing, and the men shared a look. Bucky took a drink and hummed. “Oh, meant to tell you, punk. I managed to talk to Selvig. He wanted to talk to you, get the specifics of what you were looking for; he might have a few things, so he wanted to narrow it down a little more. He said he’d be calling… Well, anytime from now until eight, depending on how busy he is,” Bucky told Steve, rubbing his hand over his face. “Forgot all about it.”

Steve shrugged. “No worries. I can take it to the office when he calls, and sort things out with him.” He cleaned up the dishes, grinning as Jamie ran to brush her teeth with complaints that she could scare off vampires in a ten-mile radius, then asked her what movie she wanted to watch.

“Ghostbusters?” she asked with a small smile.

“Oh man,” Bucky laughed. “You’re remembering us all piled in your aunt’s basement watching it, aren’t you?”

She giggled as he pulled her down between the men on the couch and shrugged. “Maybe…”

“Ah, princess,” he sighed, leaning in to kiss her shoulder.

Steve chuckled and searched through the selections on the television before he found it. “Sounds like a deal to me,” he agreed.

They were an hour into the movie, the trio heckling and making smart-assed remarks with the characters, when Steve’s cellphone rang. Steve looked at the call display but did not recognize the number. “Hello?... Erik, hey. Just give me a minute.” Covering the mouthpiece, he said to Bucky and Jamie, “I’m just going to move to my office to chat. I’ll be back in a while.”

Jamie nodded and smiled slightly. “I don’t think we’ll go too far,” she told him, watching as he grinned in response before he disappeared to his office. She was cuddled up on Bucky’s left side, tucked in close, and was thankful the alpha had showered once they had returned home; there was no trace of Pierce’s scent left on him.

The thought of the other man forced a hard shudder through her. Closing her eyes brought images to the forefront that were ugly, and Jamie shifted to her knees to make herself taller, burying her face against Bucky’s neck. Nuzzling her cheek against his, she drew in his scent and brought one of her hands up to cup his cheek, smiling shyly as he mirrored the move and drew her back to study her face.

“Are you sure, princess?”

“I don’t want to think about, or remember… _any_ of life back then,” Jamie whispered. “Help me forget, Bucky.”

He smiled and shifted her to sit across his lap, one arm around her back, his other hand cupping her face while his thumb stroked her cheek. He hovered over her lips and watched her eyes flutter closed before she leaned in to gently suck his lower lip before she opened her mouth, allowing him to explore hers with his tongue. High, needy sounds worked out of her chest as she tightened her hands, almost eating at his mouth, and Bucky pulled back, placing a few soft, kisses on her lips. “Shhh, Jamie,” he whispered when she whined. “I promised you, we’d be in a bed.”

“Then take me to bed,” she replied, her voice drawn low as she stared at him, drawing her nails over his scalp and feeling him shiver. He stood with her in his arms, and Jamie shuddered slightly. “Can we go to my room?”

Bucky knew she was feeling insecure and nodded. He made his way there and leaned back against the pillows, pulling her down against his chest. After her shower, she had dressed in loose pyjama pants and a fuzzy, knit sweater that was soft against his skin as he slid his hands up her back underneath it.

Jamie reached up and pulled the hair tie and braid from her hair before she slid her hands under his shirt. His skin was warm while she traced over his abs, the firm muscles tensing in response when she scraped her nails lightly with a grin.

He chuckled and let her tug the shirt over his head, watching as she continued to trace over his skin, exploring. Bucky relaxed on the pillows, watching Jamie’s face as she studied his chest, her fingers tracing over his body, over the sparse hair that covered his chest, all the while biting her lower lip. “Everything all right, princess?” he asked softly.

She glanced up and blushed, embarrassed at being caught lost in thought. “Just remembering what you both looked like when you were younger,” she admitted in a hushed whisper. “And thinking you were attractive back _then_ …”

Bucky grinned and slowly drew her sweater over her head, finding that the blush reached the tops of her breasts. “And now?”

Jamie’s breathing deepened as she stared at him. “That I really had no idea; you were boys back then,” she continued, seeking his lips again while her hands continued to roam over his skin.

When she dragged her nails over his nipples, Bucky groaned and arched into her, drawing away from her mouth to drag in a lungful of air. “Easy, princess,” he murmured, pressing kisses down her neck. “There’s no rush.”

“I just…”

Jamie’s voice died off and he pulled back to cup her face, drawing her eyes to meet his when she tried to look away. “What is it?”

“I don’t… I need something else to think about, Bucky,” she replied. “My head is so full of things I don’t want to see, and I just…”

He leaned up and stole her words, pressing his tongue deep into her mouth, glad when she returned his kiss eagerly. They worked together to shimmy out of the rest of their clothes, never breaking apart for any longer than necessary.

She heard his jeans hit the floor with a thud before Jamie felt his hands smooth over her skin. Bucky rolled over onto his back and pulled her up to straddle his hips. She squeaked in surprise, bracing her hands on the bed next to his head and stared down at him in confusion. Sweeping her hair so it was hanging over one shoulder, she shook her head; she didn’t understand what he wanted from her.

Bucky watched the emotions cross her face, and sat up, keeping her close to his chest, and felt her shudder; knew she could feel him hard and pressed between their bellies. Jamie wrapped her arms around his neck and let out a shuddering breath as she leaned forward to kiss him. With one hand he stroked her back, the other reached between them and found her ready; she rocked against his hand slightly and moaned. She sat up slightly, pulling away from his lips, and he grinned, holding himself at her entrance and softly kissing her neck.

She slowly lowered herself, her breath panting into his ear until their hips met, drawing a long groan from them both. Jamie cupped his jaw and drew his face up until she could hover over his lips, staring into his eyes while her fingers stroked his cheek. He smiled up at her, his hands stroking up her thighs as he moved in to kiss her, but she drew back with a grin. Raising slightly, she started riding him slowly, laughing into his mouth when Bucky pulled her back in for a kiss.

Jamie wrapped her arms around his neck, needy sounds working their way from her throat as she started to ride him. She felt his hands, one roaming over her back, as the other sat at the base of her neck, and panted heavily. Leaning back against his arms, she groaned when he kissed down her chest, biting softly at it.

Bucky felt her tighten around him in response, a gasp falling from her lips, and he held her close as he lay back against the pillows. He ended up propped up, his feet planted on the bed, and listened to Jamie’s low groan of approval.

She braced her hands on either side of his head, her hair falling around them, as he took over thrusting. Jamie’s knees hugged either side of his hips and when she started to move, he growled and wrapped an arm around her waist to hold her still, the other sliding between them to stroke her clit. A sharp gasp escaped her while he continued thrusting harder; she could feel his knot forming. She dropped to her elbows, running her hands into his hair and pulling on it, nipping along his jaw while she moaned.

“Tell me, Jamie,” he growled against her neck, feeling her shiver against him, pressing harder against his hand.

“I want your knot,” she said, breathily, bringing her face up enough to meet his eyes. Feeling his fingers stroking her knowingly, she shuddered. Bucky knew what she liked already and within seconds, Jamie cried out against his mouth as she felt him press his knot deep inside.

His hands came up to cup her head delicately, kissing her, while he continued to rut deep into her with his own release and growling. By the time he had finished, they broke away to suck in deep breaths, grinning at one another, and Bucky stroked over her back, arms, and thighs where they still rested either side of his hips. “Are you all right?” he murmured, pressing a kiss to her head while she laid her forehead against his neck.

“Mmm-hmm,” she replied softly, still breathing heavily.

Bucky chuckled, nuzzling the top of her head. He saw a shadow pause at the door and stroked Jamie’s back. “Princess, are you all right if Steve comes in to cuddle?” he asked gently. “Or is that too weird for you?”

She glanced up at him and chewed her lip while he grabbed a blanket to cover them with. Jamie saw nothing but patience in his eyes and knew neither man would be insulted either way; they both had seen her naked at this point. “He can come in,” she said softly.

“You’re sure?” Bucky pressed, narrowing his eyes to study her. His knot relaxed enough that she could move to lay beside him, and Jamie smiled and nodded. “C’mon in, punk.”

She was curled into Bucky’s chest when she felt a soft kiss on her shoulder before a damp cloth brushed between her legs. Jamie shuddered and glanced back to see Steve handing a washcloth to the other alpha as he cleaned her gently, peppering kisses along her spine before he took the cloths to the bathroom. When he stood next to the bed again, he stripped down to his boxers before he climbed into the bed and spooned up behind her. Jamie shivered at the feeling of being pressed between the men.

The alpha behind her pressed a kiss to the crown of her head and said, “I can go, Jamie. I really don’t mind.”

“No,” she rushed to say, pulling his arm over her waist and hugging him closer. “No, please don’t.”

Bucky tucked his one arm under his head, running his other hand down her face where she was curled on his chest, while he quietly asked, “What did you think of, that made you shudder, princess?”

Jamie smiled and tucked in tight against his side, pulling Steve tight against her back and let out a long, contented sigh. “I’m safe,” she murmured. “And… I knew that, I did. I just…”

Her voice trailed off and the men shared a grin over her head. Pressing a kiss to the nape of her neck, Steve said, “We understand.”


	20. Chapter 20

Saturday morning, Jamie slept late. When she finally woke, she was curled into Steve’s chest, and the smell of food filled the house. Her stomach rumbled and she groaned, opening her eyes with a frown as she looked around. “What time is it?”

“Just after ten, sweetheart,” Steve replied, chuckling as he heard her stomach protest its lack of being fed. “Breakfast is ready whenever you are.”

“Why did you let me sleep so late?” Jamie asked in surprise, looking up at him with wide eyes. But part of her knew the answer; several times during the night, she had startled the men awake while she cried, striking out at them. Her face flushed in embarrassment as she remembered and averted her gaze.

He shrugged. “All we have today is going to see Erik; and that’s no rush,” he replied easily while he propped himself up and gazed down at her. He reached out to brush the hair off her forehead and smiled until her stomach growled again. “Except, we  _ definitely  _ need to feed you now, I think.”

“I think that’s a good plan,” she agreed with a laugh.

A few hours later, Jamie hugged herself tightly while they walked around the car lot, the men deep in conversation. She tried to stick close, but her mind was so far away that when her phone buzzed with a message, she yelped. Everyone turned to stare at her, making her face burn in embarrassment.

Bucky wrapped an arm around her waist and walked her a few feet away from everyone and hugged her close. “Take a few deep breaths for me, Jamie,” he murmured against her hair.

She did, then pulled out her phone and checked who had messaged, snorting. “It’s just Clint,” she said with a sigh. “I wrote to him earlier.” She drew away and ran a hand through her hair. “I’m going to call him, see if I can talk to him when we’re home.”

“Okay. I’ll give you some privacy, but if you need me…”

“I’ll scream,” she said with a small smile.

Bucky laughed, shaking his head at her. “You’re funny,” he muttered, kissing her before he stepped back to re-join Selvig and Steve.

Jamie watched him with a smile, staying close to the men but giving them enough distance that she could talk privately with the beta. When the other end of the phone picked up, she said, “Hey, Clint.”

“Well, that is not a happy sounding voice,” he commented.

She sighed heavily. “I didn’t sleep well,” she admitted. “It’s… It’s almost as bad as when I first got to the house.”

“Well, shit,” Clint muttered, listening to her snort in response.

“Yeah, kinda my thoughts,” she agreed. “Have time for a walk today?”

“Always for you. Where are you now?”

Jamie sighed and looked around. “At a car lot,” she replied with a grin. “Steve’s shopping; his insurance is replacing the old one. They’ve narrowed it down at least. Erik? I think that’s his name… Anyway, he only had a few specific ones he wanted to show Steve, so he’s looking them over.”

Clint laughed. “Want me to come rescue you?”

“It’s all the way across town,” she replied, shaking her head. “I don’t expect you to do that.”

“Darlin, Nat and I are already out,” he explained. “We can get you, and we can drop her off at the house.”

Jamie chewed her lip while she thought. “And Nat won’t mind?”

Clint heard her hesitation, and his voice was gentle when he replied. “Not at all. We’re done our errands and were already headed home.”

She looked up and studied the men, and noticed the alphas, though they were listening to the salesman, both were watching her. “Yeah,” she agreed. “If you don’t mind?”

“We’re actually not far from Selvig’s, so we’ll be there in a few minutes,” Clint promised. “See you soon, Jamie.”

She tucked the phone back in her left jean pocket, then reached down and patted her right one as well, letting out a relieved breath. Making her way back over to the men, she stepped into Bucky’s side, who wrapped his arm around her automatically. Steve leaned over and said a quiet word to the older man, who nodded and spared a smile, then walked off to give the trio a moment.

“Everything okay, sweetheart?” Steve asked gently.

“Clint and Nat are out doing errands, and they’re going to come get me,” Jamie explained. “I hope you don’t mind…”

“Of course not,” Bucky assured, tightening his arm slightly in a hug.

“I was going to see if you wanted to be dropped off if Clint was available when we were finished here,” Steve agreed.

Jamie smiled slightly in relief. “I guess they’re nearby, so they’re just going to get me, and we’ll drop Nat off,” she explained. “We’re going to go for a walk. I just… I can’t sit in the office today.”

Stepping closer, Steve kissed her forehead softly and smiled. “Call if you need us, for  _ anything _ ,” he murmured.

She smiled and nodded, letting out an unsteady breath. Jamie watched Steve glance up and nod, knew the counsellor had arrived, and she gave Bucky a kiss, then turned to give one to Steve, before she left the comfort of their arms.

Clint met her with a gentle smile, walking her out to the front of the dealership, where Natasha waited patiently in the back seat of their car. When Jamie frowned, the redhead grinned and motioned the omega to get in the front seat.

When they were underway, Natasha explained, “You guys are dropping me off, then going to the park, right? Only makes sense that I sit in the back.”

“But, it’s your car…”

“Pfft, it’s fine. I’ve been stuck with him all day; you get to deal with him now,” the alpha replied with a wink.

Jamie grinned and let out a relieved sigh, her tension easing. Part of her was still nervous around the female alpha, though Natasha had never given her any reason to be; Jamie simply didn’t know the woman that well. Clint stopped the car at his house, rolling down his window so his wife could give him a kiss goodbye before he drove them to the park.

He led the way down a path, grinning as she bumped her shoulder into his. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, Clint rubbed his hand up and down her arm and said, “Well, I can tell you slept like shit…”

She startled with a snort, which turned into a full belly laugh, and nodded. “You’re not wrong,” she agreed. “Fuck, I lost count of the number of times I woke up from nightmares.”

“New ones?” Clint asked, hugging her gently.

A long sigh worked its way out of her chest while Jamie thought. “Kind of?” she replied, trying to think of how to describe them. “Everything is such a mess in my head.”

*****

Two hours later Clint dropped Jamie off at the house, where she was greeted at the door by Bucky with a hot cup of coffee. She smiled and wrapped her hands around it after taking off her coat, shivering slightly. “We lost track of time,” she murmured, sipping the liquid and swallowing quickly. It was only then that she paused, and realized what she had done, snorting at herself and shrugging.

“How did it go?” Barnes asked gently.

“Good,” she replied with a nod. “We’re, uh… We’re probably gonna keep walking for the next little while. I just can’t sit still.” Clearing her throat, Jamie looked around, then back at Bucky as she made her way to the kitchen and sat at the island. “Where’s Steve?”

“Right here, sweetheart,” came the reply as he appeared from his office.

“How was car shopping?”

Steve nodded and smiled. “Paperwork just needs to be finalized on their end, I pick it up Monday afternoon,” he told her. He wrapped his arms around her, careful not to make her spill her drink. “Sam called while you were out, invited us out to dinner. But that’s only if you’re feeling up to it.”

Jamie nodded and smiled. “Yeah, it’d be good to see them. Back at… Lola’s, was it?”

“If you’d like, we can,” Bucky agreed. When she smiled slightly, he kissed her forehead and nodded. “I’ll call and book a table.”

*****

The group was sat in almost the same table at Lola’s, Jamie situated between the alphas, smiling at the couple across from them. She smiled at Sam, who had asked with concern about how she was. “I’m…better than yesterday. That woman, who almost hit me. Was she all right?”

He smiled gently and nodded. “She could tell you were terrified and panicking,” Sam explained. “She was startled but glad you were all right.”

Jamie let out a relieved breath, relaxing slightly. The men on either side had given her room, not wanting to crowd her, but she had grown so used to the physical contact with them both, it felt almost odd not to have them touching her now.

“I don’t know about everyone, but I’m not in the mood for any one thing,” Wanda said with a small frown. “Want to order a bunch of appetizers and pick through them?”

“Oooh, when I looked through them last time, I saw some that looked amazing,” Jamie said with a nod.

Steve grinned. “We haven’t done that in a while, so I could go for that.”

Dinner was a mixture of bruschetta, stuffed mushrooms, spinach and cheese dip with naan bread, grilled garlic shrimp skewers, and meatball sliders. The five of them took their time, and as before, Phil and Melinda came to join them. The couple smiled at Jamie. “You’re looking well,” Melinda said softly. “The boys are treating you all right, then?”

She smiled, ducking her head. “I’ve been adjusting well,” she admitted. “Steve and Bucky have been…very patient with me.”

Barnes leaned over and placed a kiss on the top of her head, his hand squeezing her thigh slightly. “You’ve got all the time in the world, princess,” he replied gently. “We’re not going anywhere.”

“Well, if one of them steps out of line, you let me know,” Phil said with a wink. “You better believe I can still put these boys in line.”

Jamie heard the men on their side of her groan playfully, making her giggle. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she promised.

As planned, Sam and Wanda joined the trio back at their place for the evening. Jamie had mentioned earlier in the day she had missed spending time with the other omega, and Steve had suggested the women could spend time in the hot tub while the men played pool. And, as seemed to be habit lately, movies were intended for after.

Wanda and Jamie sank back into the hot tub with satisfied sighs after they changed into their suits, giggling at the other when they realized they did it in tandem. Steve stepped outside with glasses of wine for each of them, setting them on the side table and bending to kiss Jamie gently, then said, “We’re going downstairs to play pool. Yell if you two need anything.”

“Thanks,” Jamie replied with a smile.

The nurse watched the alpha move back into the house, then turned to the other woman with a wide grin. “So, things seem to be going well,” she commented knowingly.

Jamie giggled and could feel her face burning. “They are,” she admitted. “It’s just… Oh, Wanda, it’s so weird. If you’d told me when I was sixteen, I was going to have exactly what I wanted…” She took the glass of wine and tucked her legs up under herself and shook her head. “They’re super patient with everything from my past. And…”

Wanda frowned slightly at the hesitation from the other woman. “And?” she prompted gently.

“I’ve just never seen two alphas not be jealous around each other and an omega,” Jamie replied, taking a sip of wine. She wrapped her free hand around the back of her neck and sighed. “I’ve been with each of them, Wanda… And they aren’t jealous of the other. At all. Last night, after I’d been with Bucky, Steve came to cuddle.”

“You were okay with that?” the nurse asked cautiously.

“Oh, they made sure I was first,” Jamie assured, nodding. She sighed, chewing her lip while she thought. “I just… When I’m pressed between them both to sleep, my mind wanders. And my dreams are… I’m not with just one of them.”

“Ahhh,” Wanda said as the other woman finished awkwardly. “From what you’ve said, and what I know of them, I don’t think they’d be opposed to that.”

Jamie knew her face was flaming, and she shook her head. “I wouldn’t even know how to bring it up,” she whispered.

“You don’t,” Wanda said gently, reaching over to rest her hand on the other woman’s knee. “You let things happen slowly. You texted things are just now slowly progressing with them both, right?”

“Yeah.”

Wanda nodded and smiled. “Then just let it keep happening naturally. Don’t rush things,  _ lepuras _ . If they’re headed that way, and I think they might be, then it will end up there on their own.”

Jamie let out a long sigh and nodded. “So, how has work been?”

The nurse smiled. “Good. Steady, but that’s ER life,” she replied with a shrug. “Never boring, that’s for sure.”

A loud bang startled them both, and the women scrambled to get out of the hot tub, grab towels, and rushed into the house. Inside, they found the men looking sheepish, and a newcomer shaking his head, hands over his face. “What the hell happened?” Jamie asked, wrapping the towel around herself.

“Apparently, these geniuses don’t know you’re not supposed to activate a drone  _ outside _ a house,” the newcomer said, raising his head.

Jamie recognized him and flushed, hugging herself. “Mr. Stark,” she greeted quietly.

“Oh,  _ please _ call me Tony,” he insisted with a groan. “Don’t make me feel  _ that _ old, okay?”

She snickered and nodded in response. “Okay,” she said softly. Looking at the other men, she frowned when she noticed the broken electronic equipment in pieces on the floor. “So, who broke it?”

Sam sheepishly raised his hand, setting down the remote. “My bad.”

“Oh, Sam,” Wanda replied, shaking her head at him and running her hands through her hair. “Tony, you have my permission to slap him.”

The beta chuckled and shook his head. “Not necessary. I just know not to give them something like this inside again,” he groused while he rolled his eyes. “Honestly, you’d think I’d know by now, but…” Tossing up his hands, Stark picked up the equipment and set it on the side table.

“C’mon Jamie, let’s go change,” Wanda said with a chuckle.

The women disappeared back upstairs, and Stark turned back to the alphas with a grin. “Things look like they’ve been going well?” he asked once the women had disappeared upstairs.

“It  _ was _ ,” Bucky growled, running his hands through his hair before he sighed harshly.

Tony frowned while he crossed his arms and leaned on a barstool. “What’s happened?”

“One of the dude’s who went after Jamie on the street and messed her up bad, found her at the shop yesterday,” Sam supplied.

Stark’s face darkened, his jaw tightening as he watched the scowls cross the alphas faces. “Their names were blanked from the court cases, and I couldn’t find any police files connected to them,” he said cautiously. “Who?”

“Alexander Pierce,” Bucky said softly, glancing at the stairs to make certain Jamie was nowhere to be seen. “He’s come into the garage a few times.”

“How bad was it?” Tony asked, remembering how withdrawn the omega had been when he had first met her.

Steve blew out a deep breath, rubbing a hand over his beard. “She ran in a panic,” he explained. “Straight into traffic. Literally. Damned near got hit, twice. Thought my heart was gonna stop when I saw the first one, managed to pull her out of the way for the second… Buck and I have gained her trust, thank fuck. We managed to get her calmed down, and Clint is working wonders, but… She didn’t even see him, Tony. Just his voice and scent sent her into a total anxiety attack.”

Running his hands through his hair, Stark paced as he thought. “Pierce? Fuck,” he groaned.

“What’s wrong, Tony?” Sam asked.

“I know the asshole,” Stark replied, shaking his head as he wrapped a hand around the back of his neck to rub it. “Done business with him. Creeped the hell out of me then, but could never figure out why… Let me dig, see what I can find on him.”

“You don’t have to,” Bucky said softly, surprised at the offer. His eyes widened when the beta turned to stare at him with dark conviction.

“Yeah, I do,” Tony replied. “Because what else is he doing that isn’t being made public? Leave it with me.”

Steve waved his hand as he glanced at the stairs, forcing a smile as he watched the women coming back down the stairs. The sound of Jamie’s laughter made his chest tight. He remembered when she first arrived at the house; she was so withdrawn he wondered if she would even come as far as she was now. She was still giggling when she walked over and wrapped an arm around his waist, tilting her head up for a kiss. “Having fun, sweetheart?” he murmured against her lips.

Jamie flushed at the deep tone to his voice but nodded. “I know we were going to watch a movie, did you want to join us, Mr… Tony?” she caught herself just at the end, ducking her head.

Tony chuckled, watching her face darken. “You know what, I think I might just take you up on that,” he agreed with a nod.

*****


	21. Chapter 21

Tuesday, light snow fell while Jamie and Clint walked the paths. They were bundled up, and she watched her breath puff from her lips. She had found it easier to walk and talk, rather than sit in the office lately, and the beta had no complaints.

They had passed several joggers despite the weather, a few faces that Jamie had begun to recognize from the last few days. Sleep was coming easier, which Jamie was thankful for; no matter what the alphas said, she felt awful for waking them during the night.

“You know they don’t hold any of this against you,” Clint reminded her softly.

Smiling, she sighed. “I know. Ugh, and it just makes everything I’m feeling so much stronger,” she added, hugging herself. The beta chuckled, rubbing a hand over her back. “I know they’re not making me choose, I get that, but… is it weird that part of me still feels like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop? Like this just  _ can’t  _ be real?”

“Not at all,” he assured. “Jamie, this situation isn’t common, it’s not what anyone ever expects their life to be, especially when you start out. Like you said, you basically were given your high school dream on a silver platter; of course, you’re going to be nervous about it. But just take your time with it. There’s no need to rush anything. Steve and Bucky aren’t going anywhere.”

Jamie nodded as she listened to a few sets of footsteps on the wet pavement as another set of runners approaching from behind them. She and Clint stepped to the side automatically, until one of the men kicked the counsellor’s knee out sideways, making him crumple to the ground with a pained cry. He quickly jumped back up and into a defensive stance, pulling the omega behind him, but found himself thrown to the ground.

Jamie watched while Clint grappled with the two men, trading violent blows; she screamed until she felt an excruciating pain that started in her neck and froze her body. She started convulsing and fell to the ground, barely aware of Clint’s pained cry as the counsellor dropped, unconscious. The electrical shocks ended, leaving the omega laying on the ground panting, and when she felt lifted, she was too weak to fight.

Her muscles screamed when she was finally dumped on her knees in front of an alpha; his scent made her want to curl into a ball. The men jerked her coat from her shoulders, leaving her shivering in the cold; the long-sleeved t-shirt not nearly enough protection in the near-freezing temperature. Jamie’s expression was dead, and she looked up as she felt a chain being slipped over her head, felt it tighten around her throat just as she saw who stood in front of her. “Pierce,” she said, her voice hoarse.

“There you are, my beautiful little slut,” the older man purred, reaching out to grip her chin with the same hand that held the leash. “Thank you, gentlemen. I think you’ll find this covers you for your troubles.”

Jamie heard the men Pierce had obviously hired snicker as they took a large envelope. One reached down and yanked the darts from the taser gun they had used on her from the back of her neck before they moved back up onto the running paths. Forcing herself to her feet, Jamie watched his eyes widen in surprise, even as he jerked the leash, which choked the collar on her neck; she held back a wince. “I’m not a slut, and I was  _ never _ yours,” she growled in response.

Pierce narrowed his eyes and dug his hand into her hair and gripped her head, the leash pulled taught from the angle he held it, his other hand grabbing her shoulder as he dragged her up against his body. “You’ve developed some fire,” he said with a dark smile. “Do you know I wondered where you had disappeared to when an associate of mine described running into an amazingly beautiful omega with the perfect amount of respect for an alpha. He described you perfectly.” His eyes narrowed and he snarled. “That is until you vomited all over him.”

She smiled and watched the anger cross through his eyes. “I thought it matched his personality,” Jamie whispered past the choke collar. 

He loosened his grip for an instant, and Jamie used the opportunity to spit in his face. Pierce’s grip in her hair strengthened and he drew her back slightly while he wiped his face, his jaw clenched. “I’ll make you remember your place,” he promised.

Before she could blink, he brought his left fist up, the knuckles connecting with her cheekbone. Pain exploded across the right side of her face while her vision darkened briefly. It took everything in Jamie to keep on her feet while he kept a tight grip on the leash; she knew he would let her hang herself. The warmth of blood trickled down her face, and she glared at the alpha, kicking out, aiming for his groin.

Pierce was faster and swept her legs out from under her, holding her by her hair and the leash for a few moments. He listened to her sputter before he eventually knelt in the leaves in front of her. His smile was cruel as he watched her glare. “Oh, I’m going to enjoy breaking you again. “

“You might not enjoy this as much as you think,” Jamie whispered hoarsely. She moved faster than she could think, knowing if she paused, she might lose her nerve. Or worse, if she hesitated, Pierce might see it coming.

Her right arm swung up, straight for his throat, and buried the blade she held deep. Jamie felt the hot splash of blood on her hand and across her face as she severed his carotid, and when Pierce tried to push her away, she pushed with her body to shove him onto his back. Her hand never left the knife, forcing it deeper as she sat on his chest, her knees on his forearms, and she watched him stare up at her in shock. She watched the life seep from his eyes, held him down while he struggled, and even when Jamie knew he was dead, she was afraid to move.

*****

“Jamie!”

Steve and Bucky searched the park desperately with the police; though the authorities wanted them to stay home, neither was leaving until she was found. Steve stopped dead in his tracks; Jamie’s scent, heavy with fear, was nearby. He caught Bucky’s attention, and they signalled to one another. Barnes texted their location to the detectives before muting his phone, and the alphas crept into the underbrush.

The men saw Pierce’s lifeless body first, each pausing as they glanced at one another before they looked around frantically until they spotted her. Jamie sat tucked against a tree, shivering. Her knife was still clutched tightly in her hand as she stared hard at the body a few feet away from her as if afraid it would come after her again.

Bucky was on her left side, Steve on her right, and once they noticed her right eye was swollen almost entirely shut, Barnes approached her. “Princess?” he murmured softly. His eyes swept over her body; she was covered in blood, but he couldn’t tell how much of it was hers, and how much was splash-back from slicing the alpha’s throat. Her own neck was darkly bruised from the choke-collar she still wore loosely, and a deep cut ran along her right cheekbone. “Jamie, can you hear me?”

She blinked slowly and turned to look at him, startling, as if he had suddenly appeared out of thin air. “Bucky?” she whispered.

“It’s me, princess,” he assured.

“Steve?” she asked, her voice catching as her eye started to search.

“Right here, sweetheart,” he said, moving up behind Barnes. He had circled so that he did not approach from her blind side. They knelt in the damp ground near her but made certain not to crowd too close. “Can we touch you?”

Jamie started to nod, but the sounds of people approaching made her grip tighten on the knife and she tried to back further into the tree, her feet scrambling in the dirt. Panicked whines crawled painfully from her throat as she looked around wildly.

“Princess, look at me,” Bucky instructed firmly. It took a few seconds, but when she did, he smiled in reassurance. “It’s the police. You’ve been missing for hours; we’ve been looking for you with them. When we caught your scent, we messaged to say where we were, and they’re just coming to us. Okay?”

She could only nod in response as figures appeared, and she heard someone mutter, “Holy fucking hell…”

“ _ Not _ helpful, officer,” a detective snapped.

Jamie whined, curling further into herself, and Steve frowned over his shoulder. “Neither was that, Detective Rhodes,” he muttered.

The man had the grace to look chagrined when he noticed the state Jamie was in, and he sighed. “Sorry, Rogers,” he replied. He studied Jamie and shook his head before he turned to his partner. “Shit. I’ll call the paramedics and tell them where we are. Sharon, you take lead.”

The beta nodded and slowly approached the trio, noting Jamie still held the knife in a tight grip. Sharon pulled on a pair of gloves and said, “Miss Cole, I need you to drop the knife.”

Jamie stared between Steve and Bucky, her breathing stuttering in her chest. The men nodded slightly at her, Bucky reaching out for her empty hand, and she stared at his palm as she dropped the blade with a gasp, her fingers cramping from how tight her grip had been. Straightening, she looked at the men, took Bucky’s hand, and whispered, “Clint?”

“He’ll be okay,” Steve assured her.

“Dammit, princess; you’re frozen,” Bucky said quietly as he felt her skin. Pulling her in against his body, he looked around and didn’t see her coat anywhere.

Rogers had noticed the same and was already removing his and draping it over her body, frowning when she flinched. Then he realized; with her face buried against Bucky’s body, her right eye, the one that was swollen shut, was facing out, and she could not see what was happening. “It’s me, Jamie,” he said quietly, not wanting to frighten her further.

“Detective Carter, can we take her out of here?” Bucky asked, looking up to meet the woman’s eyes. “Meet the paramedics on the path?”

She nodded, looking around at the other police and crime scene techs who were arriving. Signalling to her partner, she motioned to the knife Jamie had dropped and stood. “I’ll escort you up,” Sharon agreed. When Rhodes arrived at their sides, she said a quiet word to him, then motioned the alphas to follow her.

Bucky leaned down and said, “Princess, I’m going to pick you up, all right?” When Jamie nodded, he let out a relieved breath that she was still responsive. “I’ll take it nice and easy, Steve is right behind you, okay?” He repositioned his arms so that he could grip under her back and legs, letting the other alpha drape the coat over them.

As they were walking, Steve dialled. “We’ve found her, we’re on the way to the hospital,” he said softly. “Yeah… Yeah, we’ll meet you there.”

They cut through the trees, following the detective, up to a parking lot where the paramedics were just unloading a stretcher. Barnes laid her down gently, his jaw clenched as he listened to the choke collar jangle as she laid back. Jamie’s hands clenched in his shirt when he moved to straighten, and he cradled the uninjured side of her face and smiled gently. “I’m right here,” he assured her. “I’m not going anywhere. But the paramedics have to work, princess.”

“I need you both to stay,” she said in a near panic, sitting up and reaching for both men.

Steve stepped closer and touched her leg, then took her outstretched hand. “We’re right here, Jamie,” he promised.

“Miss, we need to get you loaded,” one of the medics advised, his crisp British accent soothing as he tried to coax her into laying back.

“Not without them,” she argued. “Please, I can’t… I need them both…”

His sigh lingered, but he was in the process of taking her pulse, and the frown on his face spoke volumes. “If I agree, will you let us load you into the ambulance?” Jamie nodded, and he frowned but gave a short nod. “All right.”

Steve let out a relieved sigh. “Thank you, Mr…?”

“Please, just call me Jarvis,” he replied. “And from what I can tell from her pulse, having the both of you there will make my job a lot easier, believe me.”

Steve nodded and watched while the medics got Jamie strapped in. Before they could load her in, the detective came over with an evidence bag and carefully removed the collar from her head, and the alpha watched as Jamie flinched, tears falling silently into her hair as she lay on the pillow and stared blankly at the sky. The tears left trails in the dried blood on her face, and Steve shared a glance with Bucky before the medics loaded her into the ambulance and the men followed her.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, everyone.  
> I moved provinces at the beginning of the month, changed jobs, and have had a very hectic time.  
> I hope to get back on to regular posting now, but I appreciate your patience!! <3

Once they reached the hospital, Steve and Bucky were shown to a waiting room while Bruce, who had been called by Steve, took over Jamie’s care. The wait was agonizing; neither of the alphas was good with feeling helpless, and throughout the last few months, it had been a struggle to do not overwhelm the omega.

Steve paced while Bucky sat hunched over, hands buried into his hair. The door opened and the men quickly turned while Natasha walked in with a tray of drinks for the men and a small smile. “Thought you could use these,” she said gently.

“How’s Clint?” Steve asked, taking the coffee gratefully.

“Torn tendons in his knee, moderate concussion, broken nose, dislocated shoulder, and three cracked ribs,” she sighed heavily and sat next to Bucky, who wrapped an arm around her shoulders and hugged her. “He fought hard…”

“Pierce hired professional thugs, you can pretty much guarantee that,” Bucky said gently. “I’m damned thankful he did what he did, but he’s lucky it wasn’t so much worse.”

Natasha cleared her throat and let out a deep breath. “I’m so proud of him, and not at all surprised. But I’m grateful it wasn’t worse, too. He can fight, but he doesn’t have our training. And I really don’t know what I’d do without him.”

Barnes pulled her in tighter and kissed the top of her head, sharing a look with Steve; the men knew precisely how she felt. The beta had been admitted to the hospital a few floors up, and they had messaged when Jamie had been found to reassure the pair that she was safe. Clint had been nearly frantic since he had regained consciousness, and the hospital staff had threatened to sedate him out if he hadn’t calmed down.

Steve walked circles around the room’s perimeter while he downed his coffee. Once it was empty, he threw out the lid and began ripping small pieces of the cardboard off and putting them into the cup until even that annoyed him. “What’s taking so damned long?” he growled, throwing the cup into the trash bin hard.

“You know they’ll have to run all kinds of tests, punk,” Bucky said calmly. “Take a few deep breaths.”

Stopping, he leaned against the wall and massaged his fingers over his scalp. “Sorry, Buck,” he murmured.

The group sat in nervous silence until Wanda appeared at the door, leading Bruce behind her. Bucky and Natasha moved to stand next to Steve, who all stared at the medical personnel anxiously.

“I had to sedate Jamie,” Bruce began, taking off his glasses and cleaning them as he spoke. “Just to help her settle; we needed to take her for scans, and we wouldn’t have been able to get them done otherwise. She has mild hypothermia from exposure to the elements; her hands and feet may be tender for a while. But it wasn’t severe enough for frostbite, thankfully. She was found in time, or just lucky, that there was no sign of that.”

“How bad is everything else?” Steve asked in a broken voice.

Wanda walked over to hug him, rubbing her hand over his back as she pulled away. “Take a deep breath,” she said soothingly.

Banner put his glasses back on and smiled gently. “Jamie has what we call a blowout fracture of her right orbital,” he explained, putting out his hands in a calming gesture when the men tensed. “It sounds worse than it is, I promise. It’s a small rupture in her eye socket; she said she was hit, and her attacker wore a ring. The impact was enough to cause the fracture, but it’s very minor, and won’t require surgery. She’ll have some double vision in that eye for a while, or it will be blurry as it heals. Eye movement itself may be painful on that side, so she’ll be recommended to be on bed rest as much as possible. The bruising will be extensive, and the area may be numb for some time as the fracture knits itself.”

Bucky sat back down and let out a long breath, nodding. “We’ll make sure she doesn’t overdo it,” he promised, meeting Steve’s eyes. “And she’ll get checked as soon as she needs to be.”

“I have the number of a good ophthalmologist for you to follow up with,” Bruce confirmed. “The skin on her neck is…raw. The choke collar that was placed on her was pulled taught a few times, and it caused severe abrasions as well as bruising. She may find swallowing tender for some time; there is some swelling there, but it’s minor. And there is bruising deep along her scalp as well.” Banner shook his head and sighed. “Jamie is resting, and we’ve admitted her to keep her under observation.”

“Can we…”

“We’ve already arranged for you both to stay,” Wanda agreed when Steve’s voice died off.

The alpha let out a sigh of relief and hugged the nurse to his side. “Thank you,” he murmured, resting his cheek on her head.

“Let me just go and check on where things are, and if she’s in her room yet,” Wanda said with a gentle smile, nodding at the group.

“Is there anything else I can do for any of you?” Bruce asked.

Bucky shook his head and smiled. “No, but thank you. We can’t tell you how much we appreciate you coming in to look after things,” he said with a nod.

“Given Jamie’s history, even though she has come a long way, I don’t imagine she would have accepted another doctor after a traumatic situation,” Bruce agreed. “And I’ve been on-call before for similar situations from my clinic before; it wasn’t a problem at all with the staff.”

Wanda reappeared with a smile. “She’s settled into her room; I can take you there now.”

Natasha let out a breath. “I’m going to get back to Clint and update him, but message me when Jamie wakes up,” she said as she hugged the men. “I know he’ll want to see her for himself as soon as she’s feeling up to it.”

“We promise,” Bucky agreed.

As the men walked into Jamie’s room, they froze at the sight she made on the bed. Her already pale skin nearly matched the whiteness of the sheets surrounding her, making the darkness of the bruises a startling contrast. An IV ran into her left hand, while nasal prongs supplied a low flow of oxygen. Monitors were set up around the head of her bed, though they were silent.

Wanda coaxed them inside, taking one of each of their hands. “The monitors and oxygen are just precautions,” she assured them in a quiet voice. “The machines are being watched at the nurse’s station, so they won’t sound in here and accidentally wake her up. With being outside and exposed to the elements, she was dehydrated; the IV will keep running to combat that and make it easier to give her pain meds.”

The men nodded and Steve could see the sweat on Bucky’s brow. “Thanks, Wanda,” Rogers murmured. “For everything.”

The omega nodded and squeezed their hands. “I only have another hour or so left of my shift, then I’ll be back,” she assured them.

Steve watched her leave, then turned to the alpha beside him, who stared at the woman who laid on the bed, so very still. “C’mon, Buck,” Steve urged, taking his elbow and urging him closer. But he stood rigid, his breathing ragged, and Steve hugged Bucky’s waist and said, “Hey, look at me.”

Barnes blinked and turned his head. “I don’t know if I can be here, punk,” he whispered, voice hoarse. “She’s not…”

“She’s going to make it,” Steve interrupted, already knowing what the other man was afraid to say. He knew Bucky was struggling to be in the hospital, amazed he had stayed this long, but now his fears had caught up with him. “Buck, she’s alive. She killed Pierce, and she’s going to need both of us here when she wakes up.”

Licking his lips, Bucky flexed his hand and nodded, turning back to the bed. He approached quietly, his fingers trailing down her cheek, a small smile of relief escaping when she turned into his touch.

“Buck, lay down with her,” Steve said softly. “You heard what Bruce said, she almost ended up with hypothermia. And it’ll reassure you too.”

“What about you?” he countered, turning to eye the other man.

Smiling, Steve shook his head. “I’ll be right here.”

*****

Soft whimpers crawled from her throat as Jamie’s brow furrowed, her breath panting through her nose. Steve sat forward in his chair, touching Bucky’s back, where the alpha had fallen asleep on the hospital bed, then moved to sit on the other side of the bed. “Sweetheart, I need you to wake up for me,” he said firmly, his voice soft.

Her left eye opened and gazed around the room, before she cried softly, her hands coming up to hover over her face. Bucky took gently hold of her wrists, asking, “What is it, Jamie?”

“It hurts,” Jamie whispered. “Fuck, it hurts…”

The men shared a worried look while Steve pressed the call button on the side of the bed. Bruce entered a few minutes later, pushing a medication cart while Bucky stroked her arm and murmured in her ear. “Shhh, princess. We’ll make it stop soon; I promise.”

Jamie’s hands clutched at his forearm and she turned her face into his, whimpering. “Is Steve here?” She tried to open her eyes to look, but the movement made her groan.

“Right here,” Steve assured her quickly, sitting on the edge of her bed and stroking her calf.

“Jamie, it’s Bruce,” the doctor announced himself as he approached. “I have pain meds for you, I’m going to give it through your IV. And an ice pack for you to put over your injured eye, all right?” When she nodded slightly, the beta administered the medication and disposed of the needle before he returned to check her while holding the wrapped ice pack. Her breathing had slowly evened out, and he smiled. “How are you feeling, Jamie?”

“Sore,” she replied, her voice hoarse.

The doctor took her right hand and put the ice pack in it, saying, “No more than twenty minutes at a time, then take a break. It will help with the pain. The muscles are affected, and since you can’t move one eye without moving the other, it’s not going to be fun while it heals. But it _is_ minor, and you do heal fast, so you shouldn’t have to deal with it for long.”

Jamie’s fingers wrapped around the soft fabric that covered the icepack and brought it delicately to her face. She hissed when it touched her skin, then let out a sigh of relief as the cold washed away the remainder of the aching pain. She dared to open her left eye again slowly and stared up into Bucky’s worried eyes and frowned. “You’re here,” she whispered as realization dawned; he was in a hospital.

The alpha’s face softened, and he pressed a kiss to her forehead before he nuzzled her cheek. “I’ll always be here for you,” Bucky promised.


	23. Chapter 23

Once Bruce left, Steve delicately crawled into the bed next to her, careful of the IV, and smiled as Jamie placed the ice pack on his chest before she leaned the bruised side of her face against it. Steve watched Bucky curl in against her back. Jamie shivered and huddled between them, burrowing her hands under Steve’s shirt for warmth.

Bucky’s phone buzzed and he pulled it out, grinning as he pressed a kiss to the back of her head. “It’s Nat,” he said softly. “She was wondering if you were up for a visit? Clint has been driving her crazy since they found you.”

Jamie nodded and smiled slightly. “I want to see him,” she murmured.

“Okay,” he replied, typing a response one-handed, his other arm propping up his head. Once he typed out his response, he bent and leaned his cheek gently on the back of her head, curling his arm back around her. “Do you want me to get you anything?”

She shook her head but remained silent, the men sharing a concerned glance. The trio said nothing, the men merely stroking her skin, their faces nuzzling at her comfortingly. When a soft knock sounded, Jamie tensed, the air freezing in her lungs.

Natasha stuck her head inside and paused, sensing the omega’s unease. “We can come back, Jamie,” she offered.

Seeing the redhead, Jamie swallowed hard and shook her head. “It’s okay,” she assured her, though remained lying between the men, unmoving.

The female alpha looked between the men, who nodded carefully, and she opened the door fully, pushing Clint in a wheelchair. When Jamie saw the counsellor’s condition, she covered the side of her face that wasn’t hidden against Steve’s chest, her face crumpling and sobbed softly.

“Hey,” Clint said quickly. “This isn’t your fault, Jamie.”

“He came after  _ me _ ,” she argued, looking up. Her eyes studied him, but she couldn’t meet his gaze as guilt tore through her. His nose was hidden behind bandages, his right arm was in a sling, and he had a large brace on his leg. Jamie could tell, just by how he sat stiffly in the wheelchair, that he had other injuries hidden beneath his sweatpants and t-shirt. “You never would have been hurt if you weren’t with me.”

“And something a lot worse would’ve happened to you,” Clint reasoned, watching as she flinched. The alphas holding her glared at him, but he held up his hand to them. “Jamie, look at me.” He waited patiently until the young woman’s visible eye met his, then his face softened. “We’re here for you, and that includes being here to protect you. I know you’re not used to that, but it’s what families do.”

Tears filled her eyes, and she whimpered. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“Nothing to be sorry for, Jamie,” Clint assured gently. “I’d do it again in a heartbeat. You know anyone of us would. You need to get used to that. It’s a process, but we’ll work on that. I promise.”

“We all promise,” Steve assured her softly.

*****

Jamie was released from the hospital a few days later, once she had seen Banner’s ophthalmologist colleague, Dr. Cho. The doctors were concerned at first that there was more serious damage to her eye, but once they were reassured that her vision wasn’t permanently affected, the omega was released. Steve and Bucky had stayed, taking turns going for food, but spending each night cuddled on either side of her.

After they got home, Jamie stayed close to the men but remained quiet. Whoever she sat with, she insisted on cuddling close, needing physical contact for reassurance. The alphas never protested, simply wrapping her in against their bodies and holding her close.

A few weeks later, Jamie’s eye had healed, and the swelling had finally disappeared; only bruising remained. The trio had been spending each night curled up, with Jamie sandwiched between the men, and they were taking alternating days off work so that she could rest and heal at home. She rolled over in the bed, stretching slowly, and heard the shower running through the open bathroom door. Based on the humming, she knew Steve was inside; it was a weekend, and since the rest of the bed was empty, she could only guess Bucky had gone for a run or grocery shopping.

Jamie pushed to her feet and crept to the bathroom, leaning on the counter as she studied him through the glass door. Neither of the alphas had pressed her for anything, and she knew they were working hard not to frighten her. Trying not to draw his attention, she slipped out of her leggings and t-shirt before she reached for the shower door.

Steve wore a gentle smile on his face as she opened the door before he even turned to face her. Jamie hesitated for a second, then stepped into the front of his body and wrapped her arms around him, hooking her arms around his shoulders and pulling him against her. Sliding her hands over his skin, she buried her nose into his neck, smiling as she felt his body begin to harden between them.

“Are you sure, sweetheart? We don’t have to rush,” he said softly, though his voice resonated on the tiles.

“Are you trying to tell me, you don’t want to?” Jamie asked, wrapping her hand around his erection and stroking him while she pulled back to meet his eyes.

Chuckling, he reached down and lifted her with his hands under her thighs, shaking his head at her as he lifted her high enough to be at his level. “I didn’t say  _ that _ ,” Steve countered.

She ran her hands into his wet hair and sought out his mouth, nipping at his upper lip until she heard him growl and deepened the kiss. His hands tightened on her skin and she wrapped her arms around his neck, breathing him in while small, needy sounds crawled from her chest and she let him take control of the kiss. When Steve moved to set her down, she clutched at his shoulders and whimpered.

“Easy,” he murmured against her lips as he leaned her against the wall. Steve kissed along her shoulder, nipping at her claiming glands and feeling her shudder in his arms. He knelt, gathering her breasts in his hands and running his beard along her skin before he sucked on one of her nipples, plucking at the other with his fingers. Then he switched, using more teeth, and listened to the gasps and whines he was drawing from her chest. His hands spanned along her back as he kissed and nipped along her ribs, and Steve felt her shudder, Jamie’s fingers ran over his hair and shoulders as the water washed over them still.

Sitting back on his heels, Steve sucked on the skin of Jamie’s hip hard, drawing a bruise and making her cry out. He glanced up, making certain she was still all right and was happy to see her head was thrown back, her breathing ragged. The alpha pulled one of her legs over his shoulder and buried his nose into her folds as he licked deep inside, flicking over her clit at the end.

Jamie buried one hand into his hair and tugged, the other gripping one of Steve’s forearms where his hands gripped her waist to hold her steady. He devoured her, his tongue lapping in long strokes or delving deep inside, teasing her clit or pausing as he sucked and nipped at it. Her body couldn’t predict what he was going to do next, and she couldn’t move with him; he held her captive. Her orgasm caught her completely off-guard, making her cries echo off the shower’s walls.

Steve slowly stood, leaning against her to keep her standing while one of his hands came up to cup her face, grinning as she turned into his touch. Leaning down he captured her lips in a gentle kiss, chuckling into her mouth as she immediately deepened the kiss. “I’m guessing you’re not finished, sweetheart?” he murmured against her lips.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled back far enough to stare into his eyes darkly. “Not even close,” she growled.

Reaching back, he turned off the water and grabbed a towel to wrap her in, then chuckled as she jumped to wrap her legs around his waist. Steve carried her through to the bedroom, growling as she reached down to stroke him as he moved. He tumbled them onto the bed, capturing her wrists in one of his hands and holding them above her head as she arched her hips to try and rub closer against him. With his other hand, Steve rubbed the tip of his erection along her, teasing her clit, and when her eyes closed with a shiver, he leaned down to her ear and asked, “Are you ready for me?”

“Steve, please… I will bite you,” she warned.

“Well, that sounds like a good time,” he replied, nearly laughing. When she turned to stare at him threateningly, Steve slid deep inside her and stole her gasp with a kiss.

Jamie arched her hips to meet his, taking him as deep as she could. Wrapping her knees around his hips, she fought the hold he had on her arms until he released her, and she could run her hands along his skin; even though she had been close with the men lately, she craved the feel of his skin. Steve sat up slightly, bracing her knees against his chest before he leaned back over her. Jamie cried out softly, clenching around him with the new position, and heard him grunt in response.

He slowed, listening to her groan, and he smiled, kissing her deeply, one hand wrapped behind her head as Jamie raked her nails down his back. “Take a deep breath,” he whispered. When she did, even with her knees pressed against herself, Steve watched her eyes widen as she spasmed, shuddering underneath him.

“Oh, fuck!” Jamie whispered, trying to arch but unable to.

“You like that?” Steve asked with a dark chuckle as he resumed thrusting. The bedroom door opening suddenly made Steve pause, even though he knew from the scent it was Bucky.

Barnes looked up, his eyes wide, as he realized what he had walked in on. Pulling out his headphones, he shook his head and turned his head away. “Shit… I’m sorry, Jamie,” Bucky said quickly. “I just got back from a run and was coming to see if you guys were hungry… I wasn’t paying attention… Sorry.”

Her body was throbbing, she could feel herself clenching softly around Steve, who was still buried deep inside her. Jamie watched the other alpha start to close the door, and her voice was breathy as she said, “Wait.”

Bucky froze, glancing back at the bed, to here Jamie’s face had flushed a darker shade of crimson. “Princess?”

“I don’t want you to go,” she whispered.


	24. Chapter 24

He studied her for a few moments, then stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Bucky glanced at Steve, who gave a small nod before he turned back to Jamie.

The omega saw the glance and her eyes widened. “Is this okay?” she asked Steve quickly, staring up at him.

The alpha released her legs from her chest, helping her wrap them around his hips and settled firmly inside her, making Jamie groan. Grinning, Steve stroked her face and nodded. “Of course, it is,” he confirmed softly. “You know Buck and I are good… It’s whatever  _ you _ want, sweetheart.”

Licking her lips, Jamie nodded and tightened her fingers on his back, then turned to the man who waited patiently near the door. “I… I don’t know  _ how _ . I just… I don’t want you to go,” she repeated.

Bucky nodded, smiling gently. “You trust us, Jamie?” he asked softly.

She nodded, glancing between them. “You know I do,” she replied softly, gasping as Steve rolled his hips against hers.

He grinned when she looked up at him, stroking her cheek. “We’ll take care of you,” he promised. Steve kissed her softly, slowly coaxing her into responding. Once soft, needy sounds were coming from her chest, he drew away and grinned when she tried to follow him. She writhed underneath him, her body throbbing around him, and Steve growled at her softly as he pulled out of her, listening to her whine. “Easy, sweetheart,” he assured, sitting up on his knees and pulling her up against his chest.

Jamie felt the bed dip, but Steve picked her up, stealing her breath with another, brief kiss. When he released her, he turned her until she was facing away from him, and she realized Bucky lay beneath her as Steve pushed her onto her hands and knees over the other alpha and pushed back inside her. Jamie gasped, which was quickly stolen in a kiss by Bucky, who helped her settle her knees on either side of his hips before one of his hands buried into her hair, the other began playing with her breasts.

“Is Steve making you feel good?” he murmured against her lips.

Her cheeks flushed, Jamie would have hidden her face if Bucky’s hand didn’t hold her head steady and force her to meet his gaze. “I’m so full,” she whispered. “I was so close before…”

“Awww, did I interrupt?” Bucky asked, leaning up to place teasing kisses along her jaw. The men met each others’ eyes over her shoulder as she tried to shift her hips, but Steve kept hold of her tightly; his rhythm was long, steady thrusts deep inside to drive her insane. “Want me to help?” Bucky murmured.

Jamie opened her mouth to ask, but before the words left her mouth, his hand left her breast and trailed down to stroke her clit knowingly. A soft cry escaped her as she clenched around the man behind her, who groaned in response. “Please…”

“You ready, sweetheart?” Steve snarled, increasing his pace, the sounds of their flesh slapping together filling the room.

She was lost in the sensations of Bucky’s fingers stroking her and Steve changed his grip on her hips, adjusting the angle of her body until he was rubbing over her g-spot every time he moved. Her eyes clenched closed as her face scrunched.

“Look at me,” Bucky said softly, but there was no room for refusal.

Jamie met his eyes, though she fought the pleasure in her body that wanted to roll them back in her head. Her breath came in short pants against his lips, their faces were so close that she could feel the air come back against herself. The men were moving in tandem, she realized, a strangled cry escaping.

“Come for us, Jamie,” Bucky murmured against her mouth, stealing her scream as the orgasm burst over her skin.

Steve felt her tighten around him and groaned, leaning over to brace one hand on the bed as his knot swelled and he continued to rut into her. He raised himself enough to place gentle kisses along her shoulders as he felt the other alpha draw his hand away. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”

Jamie panted heavily into Bucky’s neck, embarrassment washing over her; unable to believe she had invited the other alpha to join them in the heat of the moment. A shuddering moan escaped her as Steve rolled his hips, pressing his knot deeper into her, her body shivering. She felt him wrap his arms around her shoulders and hips from behind and held her close as he sat up, pulling her flush against his chest and settling deep within her. The surprised gasp that was torn from her throat quickly changed as Steve’s hand slipped down to stroke her after settling her on his thighs.

“Bucky can’t take his eyes off you, sweetheart,” he rumbled in her ear, his fingers working knowingly. “Let him see you come again.” Steve growled as Jamie’s head buried back against his shoulder and she cried out, her hips rocking around his knot and she sobbed softly. “There you go…”

Barnes ran his hands up the couple’s thighs, where they straddled his legs, his eyes heavy, with a small grin on his face. The touch drew Jamie’s attention and she stared down at him, still breathing heavily. “How are you, princess?”

She studied the man below her, noticed his erection pressed hard against his stomach, leaking precum. The chilly air of the room slowly cooled the sweat on her skin, making her nipples harden. Jamie licked her lips and nodded. “I’m good,” she whispered.

Steve nuzzled her neck, licking and nipping at her claiming glands, and felt her tighten around him. He paused, stroking his fingers down the other side of her neck and meeting the other alpha’s eyes. “Is that what you want, Jamie?”

“I want you. Both of you,” Jamie admitted, glancing up at the man behind her, then down at the one who still lay below them. “I’ve always been yours. If you want me.”

Bucky chuckled and shook his head. “Why do you think we could always find you?” he asked with a smile. “At that bush party, in that alley, or in that forest. We’ll always find you.”

Steve took her hand and brought it down to stroke herself, even as his knot began to go down. She gasped and shivered, feeling the pleasure rise quickly, and just as the orgasm hit, he sank his teeth into the glands on one side of her neck. He drew blood but felt the bliss shudder through her as he drew away to lick at the wounds.

Pleasure throbbed through her as Steve withdrew from her body, and Jamie felt herself go lax in his arms. He gently laid her on the bed next to Bucky, moving to lay behind her and spooning his body behind hers, both men stroking her skin gently, pressing soft kisses to her shoulders, neck, and back.

After a few moments, Jamie drew in a long, steadying breath and blinked, finding a blanket had been drawn up over her. “Sorry,” she murmured.

“Nothing to apologize for, sweetheart,” Steve murmured against the back of her head, kissing her shoulder.

She stared at Bucky, who smiled at her gently as he reached out to stroke her cheek when she frowned. “Wipe that look off your face,” he murmured with a chuckle.

“But you…”

“I’m fine,” he assured her, leaning in to kiss her softly.

“I still want you,” Jamie insisted, licking her lips and shuffling closer to him on the bed. “I just needed a minute. I want your claim too. Please, I need you both…”

“Shhh,” Bucky shushed her, placing his fingers over her lips and smiling. His next kiss was hungry, making her open her mouth for him, her hips arching towards him. “On your knees, princess.”

The growling timber of his voice forced a shiver down her spine, and Jamie fought her sluggish limbs to respond. While her mind was trying to guess why the men were determined to both take her in this position, Bucky draped himself over her back, his erection rubbing between her legs teasingly. He kissed the nape of her neck as he brushed her hair over her shoulder, one hand holding her hip, the other guiding him as he brushed at her entrance.

Jamie rocked back against him, and Bucky chuckled, nipping her shoulder playfully. “How do you want me, princess?”

Lowering her shoulders closer to the mattress, but keeping her hips raised and angled up, Jamie listened to his dark growl and laughed. Until he plunged deep inside. He only paused when their hips met, which made her rise back up to her hands to give her more leverage. Her fists gripped the sheets and she started to moan until she felt something unexpected; another set of hands on her thighs, and lips closing around her clit. Steve lay parallel to the couple and had slipped underneath her when she had not been paying attention. He began lavishing attention on her, while Bucky started a hard pace. Jamie’s body felt electrified, whines escaping her each time she exhaled as her body rocked between the men.

Bucky gathered her to his chest and pulled her upright, still riding her while Steve tortured her with his mouth. Nuzzling her neck, he growled, “You’re right there, aren’t you, Jamie?”

“ _ Please… _ ”

“Let go, princess,” he urged. She came with a scream, and once her orgasm started, Bucky bit down hard, holding her tight and feeling his knot burst. He rutted deep into her body as he gently licked the wounds gently running his hands over her skin as he watched Steve move to the side, pulling the soft blanket from the bottom of the bed to wrap her in. Bucky settled them onto their sides and Steve pulled the blanket up, the trio cuddled underneath while Jamie shivered, her mind floating on endorphins.

Jamie realized she had dozed off when she rolled over and found Steve coming back into the room with a tray of food and drinks, and she could hear the shower running. Smiling lazily, she pushed herself to sit up against the headboard, keeping the blanket tucked under her arms. “Hey,” she said shyly. The satisfied chuckle that came from Steve brought a dark blush to her face, and she ducked her head. “How can you  _ do _ that to me still?” she muttered.

He sat the tray down on the bedside table before he sat, pulling her up against his side with a wide smile. “I think it’s adorable that you can still blush, after everything,” Steve murmured, placing a kiss on her forehead while the fingers of his one hand reached down to gently trace the bruising around his claiming bite. “Do you feel alright?”

Jamie nuzzled his chest as she nodded, her fingers tracing along his bare skin. “Better than I have been in a long time,” she admitted. “I just didn’t actually expect this. I mean, I know you’ve both been telling me it’s okay, I just…”

“I know,” Steve assured her with a grin when her voice died off.

Bucky came out of the bathroom, towelling his hair. He watched as Jamie bit her lip and studied him, chuckling. He grabbed the tray to put on the bed as he sat near her feet, handed her a bottle of water, and popped a grape into his mouth.

Frowning suddenly, Jamie glanced between them. “It’s Saturday, right?” When the men nodded, she asked, “Is everyone coming over?”

Raising his eyebrows, Bucky shook his head. “Everything is on hold,” he replied. “With everything that’s happened, we didn’t confirm anything.”

“Let’s do it,” Jamie said with a nod. “I’m sure by now, Clint must be driving Nat crazy cooped up in the house. I think Wanda said she was off this weekend. And I just… I miss having them all over.”

“Everyone at the shop has been asking about you,” Bucky confirmed. “I know they’d love to see you.”

“And I’d love for everyone to see how you’re doing,” Steve agreed.

“Now that I have both of your marks,” Jamie finished.

A deep rumble came from his chest as he leaned down to nibble her shoulder. “Well, who wouldn’t want to show you off?”

She giggled and squirmed in his arms. “So, barbecue tonight?”

“We’ll start sending out messages,” Bucky agreed with a broad grin.


	25. Chapter 25

Wanda had squealed happily the moment she had seen Jamie, hugging her tightly while Jamie laughed. Sam chuckled at his mate’s response, watching while the omegas continued to help Bucky with the food, and Steve welcomed guests. Everyone, between both jobs, had been happy with the bonding between the trio and given pleased grins as they saw Jamie 

Hours later, Jamie was wandering the party, catching up with people she had not seen in a few weeks when she noticed Thor out at the hot tub. He was with several others from the gym, who were all flexing and making smart-ass remarks, and she shook her head with a laugh until two memories flashed back-to-back through her mind.

_“So, this is the omega you’ve been keeping at home, Rogers? Pretty little thing, isn’t she?”_

_Steve growled, “Brock, let her go.”_

_“Aww, c’mon. Give her to me for a few hours, won’t you?”_

_“You’ve developed some fire,” Pierce said with a dark smile. “Do you know I wondered where you had disappeared to when an associate of mine described running into an amazingly beautiful omega with the perfect amount of respect for an alpha. He described you perfectly. That is until you vomited all over him.”_

“Oh god,” she whispered, her eyes losing focus. Jamie wasn’t aware she was shaking until she heard the sound of glass shattering; her own as she dropped it to the floor. Hands lightly touched her upper arms and she blinked several times before she realized it was Natasha’s concerned eyes staring back at her. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m going to help you to the couch, okay, Jamie?” she asked gently. When the omega nodded, the redhead wrapped an arm around Jamie’s waist and walked her over to sit next to Clint, where she leaned over and put her head between her knees. “Let me get you water, Jamie.”

Before the female alpha could move off, Jamie tightened her grip, keeping the woman close. Steve and Bucky came running up the stairs from the lower level, wild-eyed, and at the sight of Jamie, they paused, dropping to their knees in front of her. A small group had gathered, but Jamie noticed nothing around her, not even Clint trying to talk to her. “I know how he found me,” Jamie whispered, her voice hoarse.

Shaking his head, Bucky frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Pierce,” she continued, her hand tightening around the woman’s, who rubbed her back in response. “I forgot… Fuck, _how_ did I forget?” Jamie asked herself, staring at the floor in front of her.

Steve moved until he was directly in her line of sight, even though he knew she still was not seeing him. Wrapping his arms around her, he laced his hands behind her back and pressed his chest against her knees, waiting until Jamie blinked several times, tears falling soundlessly down her cheeks. “Hi sweetheart,” he said softly, once he knew she had focussed on him. “Take a deep breath for me, Jamie.”

She did, which made both men relax slightly. “There’s our girl,” Bucky praised softly.

“Now, slowly, tell us what just happened,” Steve encouraged.

Jamie licked her lips and continued to meet his eyes, afraid to look around at anyone else. “I saw everyone from the gym, and I remembered that day… That alpha you threw out,” she said softly.

“Brock,” Steve said with a nod.

Swallowing hard, Jamie’s next breath shuddered. “In the woods, Pierce said… He said someone told him about me, described me, and I threw up on him…”

“Fuck,” Bucky muttered darkly.

“I’m sorry,” Jamie whispered with a whimper.

Steve reached up with both hands to wipe at the tears that fell, shaking his head. “Sweetheart, it’s not your fault!” he insisted. “One, Brock had no right to touch you, and you had every right to throw up on him. If I hadn’t been with you, making certain you were all right, I would have beaten him senseless. Two, none of us had any idea that they knew one another.”

“I still never told you who he was, you never would have known to stop him,” Jamie murmured. Steve released her face and she glanced down and frowned as if suddenly realizing she was still clutching Natasha’s hand. “I didn’t mean…”

“I’m glad you did,” the female alpha interrupted, knowing the younger woman was about to apologize again.

Bucky touched Steve’s shoulder and tilted his head slightly, making the other man nod. Rogers turned back to Jamie and said, “Sweetheart, will you be okay with Clint and Nat for a few minutes? Bucky and I just need to finish up what we were doing, then we’ll be right back.”

“I’m here too,” Wanda said suddenly, from where she stood behind the couch. She moved around to take Steve’s place and smiled up at Jamie encouragingly.

“I’ll be okay,” Jamie agreed.

The pair waited until they were out of sight of their omega, then ducked out the front door. Steve let out an enraged shout, his fists clenched, wishing he could beat either of the men who had hurt Jamie. Bucky watched the other man pace; he had seen the muscles twitching inside and knew he had been close to a blow-up, and neither of them wanted to lose control in front of Jamie and frighten her. The front door opening made them both whirl.

“It’s just me, boys,” Stark said with a smirk, shaking his head. “Tell me about Vomit Boy.”

Bucky growled while Steve explained what had happened that day at the gym. Running his hands through his hair once he was finished, Barnes finished with, “Nat kicked his ass to the curb, and he was banned. Jamie’s first breakdown was shortly after that, honestly. Him touching her was the catalyst that set off her memories, back to what happened to her on the streets.”

“I thought with Pierce being gone, it might be over, but if Brock started it all, and it comes back around to him… _Fuck_ ,” Steve growled, resuming his pacing.

An evil snicker drew the men’s attention, forcing Steve to stop and turn. Tony’s eyes were bright and his smile was wide. “This…Brock. He’s a gym rat, yes?” he asked, voice smooth. When Bucky nodded slightly, Stark brought a hand up to rub at his chin. “And I’m going to guess, that he’s rather conceited and full of himself? Does he compete in bodybuilding?”

Steve shared a glance with Bucky, frowning slightly. “He does.”

“Perfect,” Tony replied, another laugh escaping him. “I have some work to do, I’ll talk to you tomorrow, boys. Tell Jamie I’m sorry I didn’t stick around to say goodnight.”

The alphas shared a glance as they listened to the beta laugh all the way to the car. Bucky turned to Steve, asking, “Are you as scared as I am?”

“I’m not sure what I’m feeling, right now,” the other man admitted. “But, yet again, I’m glad I’m not on his bad side…”

“Right?” Bucky agreed with a snort. Pulling the other man into a hug, they sighed into each other’s shoulders and then glanced at the house. “Okay, let’s get back in.”

Steve nodded and they walked back inside. Jamie had relaxed between Clint and Natasha, Sam had moved to sit on the table in front of her, and Wanda leaned against his legs. The small group was talking, and as Jamie laughed, the alphas let out relieved sighs. The brief breakdown seemed not to have lingered for too long, and they were grateful.

The rest of the night was full. Jamie joined Wanda, Sam, and Steve in the hot tub, while people from the gym played ping-pong – a new addition to the sunroom – next to them. Bucky tried to teach Jamie pool, but she found herself too distracted by the feel of his body pressed against hers, and continuously missed her shots. The alpha murmured against her neck he would have to give her private lessons later, which only caused her face to flame as she giggled and tried to escape, but he caught her around the waist and claimed her lips. She spent time curled up with Clint, trying to give suggestions as he played cards, and found she was hopeless and honestly had no idea how to play poker. The counsellor finally gave up on her suggestions and only then did he start winning hands.

By the time everyone left, Jamie was exhausted; it was nearly three in the morning. But she had never had such an amazing time with the group at the house. Despite the small lapse, which every one had taken in stride, the night had gone smoothly.

*****

Sunday morning, Jamie rolled over with a groan, clenching her eyes closed. The room spun and she tried to take deep breaths through her nose. Her stomach rolled in nauseating waves, and no matter how hard she swallowed and keeping her jaw clenched tight, she felt her body break out in a sweat.

Jamie rolled to her side and pushed herself up, but before she could stand, she lost the battle and she stumbled to the ground, grabbed the waste bin, and buried her head in it to vomit. A heavy groan worked from her chest before the next wave rolled through her and she retched again, hard enough for her eyes to tear as her body heaved. She heard running footsteps approaching but dared not look up.

“Princess?” Bucky asked in concern, holding her hair back. “Talk to me.”

“I don’t know,” she whispered hoarsely, her throat burning. The only thing left in her stomach was bile, and she whimpered softly as her body still tried to violently retch, the force of it making her entire form tense.

He stroked her back, meeting Steve’s eyes where the other alpha stood nearby helplessly and waited for this round to settle before he kissed her shoulder. “I’m going to pick you up and move you to the bathroom, okay?” Bucky asked gently. Once Jamie nodded, he wrapped his arms around her and frowned at the clamminess of her skin, as he moved to sit on the edge of the bathtub, keeping her on his lap.

Steve wet down a cloth and brought it over to wipe down her face before he gently laid it across her back while he knelt next to them. “Is it any better?”

Jamie took several long, slow breaths. “I’m not sure yet,” she admitted. “There’s nothing left in my system, but uuuugh…”

Bucky chuckled. “We don’t have any Gravol or ginger,” he said with a sigh, rubbing her back soothingly. “But it’s late enough, Wanda should be up. I know for sure she’ll have something?”

She swallowed hard and closed her eyes, leaning her forehead against his chin and whispered, “Okay.”

“I’ll go call,” Steve said softly, pressing a kiss to her cheek as he stood.

Bucky felt Jamie nod slightly against his jaw, then pulled back so he could glance down. “Do you feel up to a shower?” When she groaned softly, he shushed her. “Okay, shhh. Let’s just get you cleaned up.”

When they emerged to the living room, Bucky had washed her down with a washcloth, pulling her hair back into a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck. She was dressed in comfy clothes and wearing one of the men’s sweaters, hugged tightly around her as he lay her on the couch and knelt in front of her. “I’m just going to get you some water, okay?”

She nodded and snuggled down into the cushions, smiling wryly as he moved the trash bin closer for her. As he walked off, Jamie reached back and grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and pulled it over her legs and up to cuddle at her chest, just as there was a knock at the door.

Steve let Wanda in, who rushed right over to the omega on the couch, inspecting her carefully. “ _Lepuras_ , what happened?”

Jamie shrugged slightly. “I don’t know,” she replied, her voice still rough, making her swallow and wince. “Just woke up…bad.”

The nurse pulled out a bottle from her bag and shook out two pills, saying, “It’s a ginger Gravol; works great but won’t leave you groggy.”

Jamie took the glass of water that Bucky had brought over and the pills, pushing herself up enough to swallow them. She braced herself, her body fighting over whether or not to reject even that small amount of liquid before it stayed down. She lay back down with a sigh and blinked heavily. “It can’t be the food, everyone else ate the same stuff last night.”

“Do you feel up to moving to your room, and I can just give you a quick look over?” Wanda asked hesitantly.

“You know what, you guys stay here, we’ll go to the office,” Steve offered, knowing how exhausted Jamie was. When she gave him a grateful look, he smiled at her and nodded at the women. “Just yell if you need anything.”

Wanda knelt on the floor and pulled out a thermometer, stethoscope, blood pressure cuff. She knew she was probably going overboard, but she always liked being thorough, and Jamie humoured her. When the younger woman rolled onto her back so Wanda could gently palpate her stomach, Jamie winced, her entire body tightening, and the nurse frowned at what she could feel. “Jamie… I have a question for you…”


	26. Chapter 26

The blood rushed through her ears as she stared at her best friend with wide eyes. “No,” she whispered, her voice soft with fear. “No, I…”

Wanda put both hands on Jamie’s knees as the woman sat up, and the nurse sat on the coffee table. “When was your last shot, Jamie?”

“Dr. Banner gave it to me just after I got here…” Her voice died off as she leaned over to put her head on Wanda’s hands, wrapping her own over her head. “Fuck, with everything, I just… I forgot!”

“I’m not saying anything for sure,” Wanda assured her, bringing one of her hands out to stroke Jamie’s hair. “But your body is a bit of a mess, and your abdomen is tender. That could mean a few things; you could be prepping for a heat, or you could be pregnant, Jamie.”

Her head was swimming as she dragged in long breaths. “Fuck… We haven’t talked about kids… I never even thought… Ohmygod…”

“Breathe, _lepuras_ ,” Wanda murmured. She looked over as the men emerged from the office, drawn by Jamie’s distressed scent, their eyes concerned. The nurse nodded at them slightly, and said, “Okay. I’m going to give Bruce a call, and see if he can meet you at the clinic, okay?” When Jamie pulled both of her hands over her head to hide, Wanda smiled gently. “Take a few deep breaths for me, all right? I’ll be right back.”

The alphas quickly rushed to the couch, but when Jamie whimpered, they hesitated before touching her. Steve glanced at Bucky before he sat on the couch and ran a hand down Jamie’s back. “Sweetheart? What’s wrong?”

“Oh, I fucked up,” Jamie whispered. She sat up and covered her face with both of her hands, shaking her head. “I fucked up so bad…”

“Jamie, tell us what’s wrong, please,” Bucky urged, sitting on the coffee table. He reached out to take one of her hands, pulling it down and massaging her knuckles and saw she was crying. “Princess?”

“There’s a chance…” Jamie cleared her throat and shook her head, staring down at her lap. “We’ve never talked much about what all of…this means, or what will happen with us. And the last few years I haven’t thought about it, with the way my life has been, and I just…”

“Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa,” Steve urged her as she rambled, her words tumbling over each other. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed the side of her head, breathing her in; her scent was soured with the anxiety rolling through her. “Sweetheart, take a deep breath and just tell us. It’s going to be okay; I promise.”

“With everything going to hell the last few weeks, I forgot my birth control injection,” she whispered. “There’s a chance I could be pregnant.” Jamie felt the men still, and fresh tears filled her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Bucky reached out to wipe her cheeks as she sniffled, smiling gently and cupping her face. “You’ve nothing to be sorry for, Jamie,” he assured her, sharing a glance with Steve. “You’re right; we haven’t talked about it. But we want _you_. And if you want kids, we’re more than happy to have them with you. If you’re not sure, then we’ll be here while you figure that out.”

“Right now, it might just be my body trying to sort out coming off the injections, and the hormones being all fucked up, but…”

When Jamie’s voice dropped, Steve hugged her tight to his side and leaned his head onto the top of her head. “But, if you are, then we’re right here with you,” he promised.

“We’d need to take a test to figure out whose it was…”

“We don’t care,” Bucky assured her.

Jamie stared between the men with a confused frown, and Steve reached over to smooth his thumb over the lines on her forehead. “Sweetheart, we’re both here for the long-haul; otherwise we wouldn’t have claimed you. Neither of us would care who was biologically the father,” he promised her.

“We’d both be here to raise the baby,” Bucky agreed. “As long as there was no medical reason to know, it wouldn’t matter to us.”

Jamie sank in between the men, then looked up as the nurse reappeared. Wanda nodded. “Bruce will meet you at his clinic in an hour and run the bloodwork himself,” she told the trio. “Feel up to eating anything?”

“Fuck no,” Jamie said, nausea still making her stomach roll. The meds had helped, but it still wasn’t perfect. “But maybe a shower now.”

Wanda nodded and reached out a hand. “I’ll make sure you stay on your feet,” she said with a grin.

“Thanks, Wanda,” Steve with a relieved smile.

*****

Jamie tried to pace the clinic’s exam room but wobbled. Bucky had to grab her arm and pulled her into his lap, hugging her tightly. Bruce had drawn the blood and was running the test; given that she had missed her injection, a urine test had the potential to give an inaccurate reading since her hormones were already in flux.

Though she allowed herself to sit across Bucky’s knees on his chair, her own legs bounced as Jamie couldn’t contain the nervous energy. She had pulled on another of the men’s sweaters after her shower and hugged it tightly around herself as another round of nausea rolled through her. Jamie stilled, clamping her eyes closed and bringing a hand up to cover her mouth.

Steve brought over the garbage bin and pulled up another chair, as he watched her face break out in a sweat. “Slow breaths,” he advised. “Let me just find Bruce and see if he can give you something, okay?”

She nodded slightly as she sank into the chair he brought over; her hands braced on the edge of the bin while her body tried to decide if it was going to begin vomiting again. Jamie glanced up as the door opened before Steve could leave, to see Bruce returning, and the doctor’s eyes widened when he saw her.

“Oh, Jamie,” Banner said in sympathy. He set down the file and readied a syringe, quickly giving her an injection into her upper arm, then knelt and checked her pulse, pupils, and the glands in her neck while the medication took effect. Once the omega was breathing easier, the doctor smiled gently and asked, “Does that feel better?”

“Yes, thank you,” she murmured, straightening slowly. Jamie noticed the file and started to tremble. “You have my results?”

Steve moved back to the chair to join Jamie, lifting her to sit on his lap as Bucky crowded next to them. Pulling her close against his chest, Steve could feel how cold her skin had grown, and he rubbed his hands over her, murmuring in her ear to breathe.

Bruce sat on his wheeled stool and turned to the trio, observing them for a few seconds. He could see the effect the wait was having on Jamie and opened the file. “You’re not pregnant, Jamie,” he said without preamble, watching her, waiting for the information to sink in.

She stared at him and blinked several times, a relieved breath making her almost collapse back against Steve’s chest. “You’re sure?” she whispered.

“I’m sure, Jamie,” Banner promised. “Your body’s reactions are from coming off the hormones and trying to prep for a heat cycle. I can give you something to help stop that, and in another day or so, we can restart your injections again. Unless you’d like to let the heat cycle happen. But, since you’re not on birth control, you’d have to use other precautions.”

“I don’t… Right now, I’m not…”

Bucky rubbed her shoulder when Jamie’s voice died off. “Why don’t you give us the meds to stop the prep, and if she decides to do that, we can start it tonight,” he said with a nod, knowing she was too overwhelmed to make the decision right then.

Bruce nodded and wrote the prescription, handing it over to Bucky. “The pharmacy can have it ready quickly,” he told them. “And nausea will persist, even with those meds, so I added a stronger anti-nausea on that script. If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to call me, okay?”

“Thanks, Bruce,” Steve said softly as Jamie turned in his arms to wrap her arms around his neck.

“We really appreciate you coming in yourself,” Bucky agreed.

“Of course,” Banner agreed. “Take your time. There’s no rush to leave, okay?”

The doctor left, and Bucky tucked the prescription into his pocket. He leaned over and kissed Jamie’s shoulder, stroking her hair back from her face. “How are you feeling, princess?”

“I don’t know?” she admitted, pulling back from Steve’s chest to glance between the men. “I’m tired. This morning just… Fuck, I’m tired.”

“How about we go get a little bit of food into you, and curl up on the couch for a nap?” Steve proposed. When she nodded with a contented sigh, he grinned and helped her stand. “Let’s go home.”

*****

Bucky curled up on the couch with Jamie while Steve made her toast and grabbed them all a carton of Greek yogurt and three spoons. Once a blanket had been arranged over their laps, Jamie had eaten a little and was slowly taking spoonful’s of yogurt, Bucky took her free hand and interlaced their fingers. “Jamie, when you thought you could be pregnant, you were scared of telling us,” he started, his voice hesitant. He felt her stiffen, and Bucky squeezed her hand gently. “What were you afraid of?”

Jamie put her spoon in the container and chewed her lip for a second, shaking her head. “I should have been keeping better track…”

“Sweetheart, things kind’ve snowballed in the last few weeks,” Steve argued when her voice died off. “Between Pierce showing up at the garage, and everything that happened after that, no one was keeping track of the time. But we wouldn’t have been angry. It’s not like you trapped us into anything; we claimed you before we had any idea you might be.”

A long, relieved sigh escaped her, and Jamie nodded. Bucky drew her hand up to kiss the back of her hand. “Do you want kids, princess?”

“I don’t know,” she whispered, looking up at him. Shaking her head, she pulled her hand away to run both of hers through her hair. “I just… For the last few years, there was no way I would have even considered it.”

Steve heard the confusion in her voice, and he smiled. Running his fingers along her chin, he drew her face to meet his eyes and stroked her cheek with his thumb. “We’re not saying you need to make any decisions now,” he promised her. “Just that you have options now. But only if you want them, Jamie. Okay?”

“Okay,” she agreed softly.

It was early afternoon, but Steve could tell Jamie was exhausted. He grabbed the remote and flicked through the movies on Netflix. “Star Wars original trilogy marathon?” She nodded, and the trio settled in, though it wasn’t long before she was sound asleep between them.

Jamie blinked awake at the end of the first movie, groaning as she stretched. She straightened up between the men, crossing her legs under her and glanced over to see Bucky frowning at his phone. “What is it?”

“Tony messaged,” he replied quietly. “Said to turn on the news…”

Steve frowned in confusion but turned off the movie and changed to a local news station. There, the anchor was talking about the upcoming UFC charity event. “Why did Tony want us to see this?” Steve wondered aloud.

“And in a surprising turn of events, a local man has entered the event,” the anchor continued. “Brock Rumlow has thrown his hat into the ring, pitting himself against the best of the best, and pledging a sizable amount of money towards the children’s hospital. Local tech mogul Tony Stark has vowed to quadruple the amount Mr. Rumlow has pledged, claiming he is impressed with the local man’s generosity! Mr. Rumlow has been unavailable for comment, though sources place him at the Everett Ross Gym, doubling down on his training in preparation for the event.”

As the broadcast moved on to another segment, Steve turned off the television, as there was a knock at the door. The alphas stiffened, and Bucky approached carefully, his shoulders relaxing as he saw Stark outside, and let him in. “How did you do it?” Barnes asked incredulously.

“Do what?” Jamie asked

Stark grinned as he moved to flop on a single chair while Bucky came back to join the couple on the couch. “You saw the news?” Tony asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Jamie glanced from him to the television, then back as understanding dawned. “ _You_ did that?”

“You didn’t honestly think Vomit Boy volunteered out of the generosity of his own heart, did you?” he countered, cocking his head. “He’s got an ego; make it public, make it big, and he can’t back out. I back him up with enough money? He’s screwed. What he doesn’t know, is that a lot of his savings are betting on him with the bookies”

Steve’s eyes widened. “You didn’t?”

“He’s going to be wiped out,” Stark agreed. “And, the sharks will be looking for him to pay off his debts. Unless they get him while he’s still in the hospital.” Jamie stared at the man with wide eyes, and the beta caught the look, his face softening as he leaned forward in his chair, leaning on his knees. “If I could’ve found dirt on Pierce before he came for you, he never would have grabbed you. But it took longer than I expected, and it was too late. His reputation is slowly being destroyed, though; I’m making sure of that.”

“Why?” she whispered. “You don’t even know me.”

“You’re a good influence on these two,” Tony replied. “And I consider them family. You don’t mess with my family.”

Jamie watched as he shrugged, as if that explained everything, then pushed himself to his feet. Bucky walked him to the door and shook his hand while she watched them speak softly before the alpha rejoined them on the couch.

“You okay, sweetheart?” Steve asked softly.

“Just… processing,” she replied, groaning and rubbing at her belly as it ached slightly, feeling bloated.

“And, you have a decision to make,” Bucky reminded her, pulling out a bottle of pills.

Licking her lips, she took the medication and sighed. “I… I don’t think I’m ready for a heat yet,” Jamie said softly. “With you two, I would, just… Not right now.”

“And that’s okay,” Steve promised her. “Whenever you’re ready, we’re here.”

“And we can plan for it,” Bucky agreed, grabbing a glass of water. He let her take the pills, then put the bottle and glass back on the table. “We’ve got all the time in the world.”

Jamie sank back in between them and let out a soft sigh. “Start the next movie?”

“Sounds like a plan, sweetheart.”

END


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